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Only 24 hours following staggering through one of the most exhausting losses in Fall Classic history, the Toronto Blue Jays played with total command.

Guerrero smashed a two-run homer and Shane Bieber delivered a composed start as Toronto defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday evening at Dodger Stadium, tying the Fall Classic at two games each and ensuring the series will return to Canada.

Toronto had spent the early hours of Tuesday dealing with their 18-inning Game 3 loss – tied for the lengthiest World Series game ever – a loss that cost them the chance to take the lead in the series and depleted both relief corps. Skipper Schneider insisted afterwards that “the Dodgers won a contest, not the championship”. Twenty-three hours later, his team offered emphatic evidence.

Initial Action

The Los Angeles again struck first. Max Muncy drew a walk in the second inning, advanced on a single and crossed the plate on Kiké Hernández's fly out. But the initial breakthrough did not rattle a Blue Jays club that led Major League Baseball with 49 come-from-behind victories this year.

They responded immediately in the third. Nathan Lukes lined a one away base hit to center field and Guerrero stepped in looking for a breaking ball. Shohei Ohtani threw a sweeper up and Guerrero drove it screaming over the left-center wall. It was his initial extra-base hit of the World Series and his 7th home run this playoffs – a new club record – restoring the Blue Jays's advantage after 13 scoreless innings and shifting the momentum of the night.

Shohei's Night

That swing also halted Ohtani's record-setting run of 11 consecutive at-bats getting on base. The two-way phenomenon had hit two homers and got on base a record nine times in the Los Angeles' third game comeback win. But on that night, he started on limited rest – his shortest ever – after requiring an IV to recover from the prior marathon.

His fastball velocity sat under his regular-season norm and he struggled more as the contest wore on. Even so, he showed glimpses of his usual command, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero Jr's blast and fanning six. He even walked in the first inning to extend his Fall Classic streak. But the Blue Jays forced him to labor: six base hits and four earned runs were credited to him in six-plus frames.

Late Game Rally

The larger issue for Los Angeles was what followed when Ohtani eventually ran out of steam.

Varsho started the seventh inning with a sharp hit to right, and Ernie Clement smashed a two-base hit off the wall to put runners on with none out. Roberts had no option but to remove Ohtani, who departed to a standing ovation from the local fans. The Los Angeles' relief corps could not finish the inning.

Anthony Banda inherited the mess and right away fell behind. Giménez fought to a full count before driving in Varsho with a base hit to left field. Ty France came up next with a groundout to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to remove Banda out of the contest. Blake Treinen entered next but also failed to stop the momentum: Bichette and Addison Barger punched RBI base hits through the infield, capping a four-score barrage that pushed the margin to 6-1.

Toronto's Resilience

The Toronto's ability to withstand early blows and answer has defined their entire run. They once again succeeded without George Springer, the hurt top-of-the-order man who left Game 3 after tweaking his oblique.

Bieber, in contrast, was exactly what Toronto required. Traded for mid-season while finishing rehab from Tommy John surgery, the former Cy Young winner stranded several runners and quieted the Dodgers' potent lineup. He gave up one run on four base hits and three free passes before Schneider called on first-year left-hander Mason Fluharty to confront the core of the order in the sixth. He needed just four throws to retire Muncy and Tommy Edman, protecting a fragile lead that soon grew safe.

Former starting pitcher Bassitt then pitched a scoreless seventh and eighth as the Los Angeles' offense kept to struggle. Los Angeles have scored only 3 scores over their previous 20 innings, an sudden downturn for a club that ranked among MLB's top lineups all season.

Final Moments

The Los Angeles managed a run in the ninth when Tommy Edman grounded out to score Teoscar Hernández after a base on balls and Max Muncy's double put runners on base. But Varland closed it down without permitting a rally to build.

After a game when the Blue Jays stranded a Fall Classic-record 19 baserunners and collapsed after repeated of wasted opportunities, Game 4 was brutally effective. 6 different Toronto players collected base hits, five brought home runs and the team converted nearly every scoring opportunity presented in the late innings.

Looking Ahead

The win ensures the World Series title will be awarded at Rogers Centre, where the Toronto have not celebrated a title since Carter's iconic game-winning homer in 1993. They now know they are assured a packed crowd in Toronto on Friday night – and possibly the next day – no matter what occurs next in LA.

Game 5 approaches with the matchup reset and momentum swinging to Toronto. Los Angeles left-hander Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to halt the Blue Jays's surge. Toronto counter with rookie Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of Game 1, when the Blue Jays chased the starter early in an decisive victory.