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Less than a day after staggering through one of the most draining losses in Fall Classic history, the Blue Jays played with complete control.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr crushed a two-run homer and Shane Bieber provided a steady outing as Toronto beat the Dodgers 6-2 in the fourth game on Tuesday evening at Dodger Stadium, squaring the Fall Classic at two games each and ensuring the series will return to Toronto.

The Blue Jays had spent the morning of the next day dealing with their 18-inning Game 3 loss – tied for the longest Fall Classic contest ever – a loss that cost them the opportunity to take the lead in the series and burned through both bullpens. Manager Schneider stated afterwards that “the Dodgers took a contest, not the championship”. A day later, his team provided emphatic evidence.

Initial Innings

The Dodgers again struck first. Muncy walked in the second inning, moved up on a base hit and scored on Kiké Hernández's fly out. But the early score did not shake a Blue Jays club that topped MLB with 49 come-from-behind victories this year.

They answered right away in the third. Nathan Lukes lined a one-out base hit to centre and Vladimir Guerrero Jr came to the plate looking for a breaking ball. Shohei Ohtani left a sweeper up and he drove it screaming over the left-center wall. It was his first long hit of the World Series and his seventh homer this postseason – a new team record – regaining the Blue Jays's advantage after 13 shutout frames and shifting the tone of the night.

Shohei's Performance

That hit also halted Ohtani's history-making streak of 11 consecutive at-bats getting on base. The dual-threat star had smashed two home runs and reached safely a record nine times in the Dodgers' Game 3 walk-off. But on that night, he started on limited rest – his shortest ever – after requiring an IV to recuperate from the previous marathon.

His fastball velocity was under his seasonal average and he struggled more as the game progressed. Even so, he displayed flashes of his typical command, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero Jr's blast and fanning six. He even walked in the first to continue his World Series record. But the Blue Jays made him work: six base hits and four earned runs were credited to him in over six innings.

Late Game Surge

The larger issue for Los Angeles was what came next when he finally lost energy.

Varsho started the seventh with a clean single to right field, and Ernie Clement smashed a double off the fence to put runners on with no outs. Roberts had no option but to remove Ohtani, who exited to a standing ovation from the local fans. The Dodgers' relief corps could not finish the escape.

Anthony Banda came into the jam and immediately fell behind. Giménez battled to a 3-2 count before scoring the runner with a base hit to left. France followed with a groundout to make it 4-1, and that was enough to knock Banda out of the contest. Blake Treinen came in next but also was unable to stop the rally: Bichette and Addison Barger punched run-scoring singles through the infield, capping a four-score outburst that pushed the lead to 6-1.

Toronto's Toughness

The Blue Jays's capacity to absorb early blows and respond has characterized their entire run. They once again succeeded without George Springer, the injured leadoff hitter who left the third game after straining his right side.

Shane Bieber, in contrast, was exactly what the Blue Jays needed. Acquired mid-season while finishing rehab from Tommy John surgery, the former award-winning winner left several baserunners and silenced the Dodgers' dangerous lineup. He allowed one run on four base hits and three walks before Schneider called on rookie left-hander Fluharty to confront the core of the order in the sixth inning. Fluharty required just 4 throws to get out Muncy and Tommy Edman, protecting a fragile lead that soon became safe.

Converted starter Chris Bassitt then pitched a clean seventh and eighth innings as the Dodgers' offense continued to struggle. Los Angeles have produced only three scores over their previous 20 innings, an abrupt downturn for a club that ranked among MLB's elite offenses all season.

Final Moments

The Dodgers scraped a score in the ninth inning when Tommy Edman grounded out to bring home Teoscar Hernández after a base on balls and Max Muncy's double put two on base. But Louis Varland finished the game without permitting a comeback to develop.

After a night when Toronto stranded a Fall Classic-record 19 baserunners and collapsed after wave upon wave of wasted opportunities, Game 4 was brutally effective. 6 separate Toronto players recorded hits, 5 drove in scores and the team converted nearly every run-scoring opportunity available in the late stanzas.

Looking Ahead

The victory ensures the championship title will be presented at Rogers Centre, where the Toronto have not won a title since Joe Carter's famous game-winning home run in 1993. They now are aware they are guaranteed a full house in Canada on Friday night – and possibly Saturday – no matter what happens next in Los Angeles.

The fifth game looms with the matchup even and energy shifting to Toronto. Dodgers pitcher Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will attempt to halt the Blue Jays's surge. Toronto respond with first-year player Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of Game 1, when the Toronto chased Snell early in an decisive victory.