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Only 24 hours after enduring one of the most draining losses in Fall Classic annals, the Toronto Blue Jays played with complete command.

Guerrero crushed a two-run homer and Bieber provided a steady start as Toronto defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 in the fourth game on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium, tying the World Series at two wins apiece and guaranteeing the matchup will return to Toronto.

The Blue Jays had spent the early hours of Tuesday processing their 18-inning Game 3 loss – equal to the longest Fall Classic game ever – a loss that cost them the chance to lead the matchup and burned through both bullpens. Manager Schneider stated afterwards that “the Dodgers won a contest, not the championship”. A day later, his squad provided convincing evidence.

Initial Action

The Dodgers again scored first. Max Muncy drew a walk in the second inning, moved up on a single and crossed the plate on Kiké Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the initial breakthrough did not shake a Toronto club that topped MLB with 49 come-from-behind victories this year.

They answered right away in the third. Nathan Lukes lined a one away base hit to center field and Guerrero came to the plate hunting a breaking ball. Ohtani left a slider up and Guerrero sent it soaring over the outfield fence. It was his first long hit of the World Series and his 7th home run this postseason – a new club mark – regaining the Blue Jays's advantage after 13 shutout innings and shifting the tone of the game.

Shohei's Performance

That swing also ended Shohei Ohtani's history-making streak of 11 straight at-bats getting on base. The dual-threat star had hit two homers and reached safely a historic nine times in the Dodgers' Game 3 comeback win. But on Tuesday, he took the mound on short rest – his shortest ever – after needing an IV to recover from the prior extra-inning game.

Ohtani fastball velocity sat below his seasonal norm and he labored more as the contest progressed. Nonetheless, he showed glimpses of his typical control, retiring 11 of 12 after Guerrero's blast and striking out six. He even walked in the first inning to continue his Fall Classic streak. But the Toronto made him work: six base hits and four earned runs were charged to him in six-plus innings.

Seventh Inning Surge

The bigger issue for Los Angeles was what followed when Ohtani finally ran out of steam.

Varsho opened the seventh inning with a sharp hit to right, and Clement drilled a two-base hit off the wall to put two on with none out. Dave Roberts had little choice but to pull the starter, who exited to a standing ovation from the home crowd. The Dodgers' relief corps could not complete the inning.

Anthony Banda inherited the mess and right away fell behind. Giménez battled to a full count before scoring the runner with a single to left. Ty France followed with a groundout to make it 4-1, and that was enough to remove the pitcher out of the contest. Treinen came in next but also was unable to stop the rally: Bichette and Addison Barger punched RBI base hits through the infield, capping a four-run outburst that pushed the lead to 6-1.

Blue Jays's Toughness

The Toronto's capacity to absorb initial blows and answer has defined their whole run. They once again succeeded without George Springer, the injured top-of-the-order man who exited the third game after straining his right side.

Shane Bieber, in contrast, was exactly what Toronto required. Acquired mid-season while completing rehab from elbow surgery, the former Cy Young winner stranded multiple runners and silenced the Dodgers' potent batting order. He gave up one earned run on four base hits and three walks before Schneider called on rookie pitcher Fluharty to face the core of the lineup in the sixth inning. Fluharty required just 4 throws to retire Muncy and Edman, preserving a narrow advantage that quickly became safe.

Former starting pitcher Bassitt then pitched a clean seventh and eighth innings as the Dodgers' offense kept to sputter. The Dodgers have scored only 3 scores over their previous 20 frames, an abrupt downturn for a club that ranked among MLB's top offenses all season.

Final Moments

The Dodgers scraped a run in the ninth when Tommy Edman grounded out to score Hernández after a walk and Max Muncy's double put runners aboard. But Varland closed it down without permitting a comeback to develop.

Following a game when Toronto stranded a World Series-record 19 runners and collapsed after wave upon wave of wasted chances, the fourth contest was ruthlessly effective. 6 different Blue Jays recorded hits, 5 drove in scores and the team converted nearly every scoring chance available in the late innings.

Looking Ahead

The win ensures the World Series trophy will be presented at their home stadium, where the Blue Jays have not won a championship since Joe Carter's iconic game-winning home run in '93. They now are aware they are guaranteed a full house in Canada on Friday night – and perhaps the next day – no matter what occurs next in Los Angeles.

The fifth game approaches with the series reset and energy shifting to Toronto. Dodgers left-hander Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will attempt to halt the Blue Jays's surge. The Blue Jays counter with rookie Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of the opener, when the Toronto chased the starter quickly in an 11-4 win.