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Only 24 hours following enduring one of the most exhausting defeats in Fall Classic history, the Blue Jays displayed complete command.

Guerrero crushed a two-run homer and Shane Bieber delivered a steady outing as Toronto beat the Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday evening at their home ballpark, tying the World Series at two games each and ensuring the matchup will head back to Canada.

Toronto had spent the morning of the next day dealing with their marathon Game 3 loss – equal to the longest World Series contest ever – a defeat that denied them the chance to lead the matchup and burned through both relief corps. Skipper Schneider insisted later that “they won a contest, not the championship”. Twenty-three hours later, his team provided convincing proof.

Early Action

The Los Angeles again scored first. Max Muncy walked in the second, advanced on a base hit and crossed the plate on Kiké Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the early breakthrough did not shake a Blue Jays team that topped Major League Baseball with 49 come-from-behind victories this year.

They answered right away in the third inning. Nathan Lukes lined a one-out base hit to center field and Guerrero stepped in hunting a breaking ball. Ohtani threw a sweeper up and Guerrero sent it screaming over the left-center wall. It was his initial long hit of the series and his 7th homer this postseason – a new club mark – restoring the Blue Jays's advantage after 13 shutout innings and changing the tone of the game.

Ohtani's Performance

That hit also halted Ohtani's record-setting run of 11 straight plate appearances reaching base. The dual-threat star had smashed two home runs and got on base a historic 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 recover from the prior extra-inning game.

His pitch speed was below his seasonal norm and he struggled more as the contest wore on. Even so, he displayed glimpses of his typical control, retiring 11 of 12 after Guerrero Jr's homer and striking out six. He even walked in the first to extend his World Series streak. But the Toronto made him work: six hits and four runs were credited to him in over six frames.

Seventh Inning Rally

The larger issue for Los Angeles was what followed when he finally lost steam.

Daulton Varsho opened the seventh inning with a clean hit to right, and Ernie Clement smashed a two-base hit off the wall to put two on with no outs. Roberts had little choice but to remove the starter, who exited to a standing ovation from the local fans. The Dodgers' bullpen could not finish the inning.

Banda came into the mess and right away trailed in the count. Andrés Giménez fought to a 3-2 count before driving in the runner with a single to left. Ty France followed with a fielder's choice to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to knock the pitcher out of the game. Treinen came in next but also was unable to stem the rally: Bichette and Addison Barger hit RBI base hits through the infield, completing a four-run barrage that extended the margin to 6-1.

Toronto's Toughness

The Blue Jays's ability to withstand early blows and respond has characterized their whole postseason. They once again succeeded without Springer, the injured top-of-the-order man who exited the third game after straining his right side.

Bieber, meanwhile, was everything the Blue Jays needed. Traded for mid-season while finishing rehab from Tommy John surgery, the ex- Cy Young winner left several baserunners and quieted the Dodgers' potent lineup. He allowed one earned run on four base hits and three walks before the manager called on first-year pitcher Fluharty to face the core of the order in the sixth. Fluharty needed just four pitches to retire Max Muncy and Edman, protecting a narrow advantage that soon grew safe.

Former starting pitcher Bassitt then pitched a clean seventh and eighth as the Los Angeles' offense kept to struggle. The Dodgers have produced only three runs over their last 20 frames, an sudden slowdown for a club that was among MLB's elite lineups all season.

Final Moments

The Los Angeles managed a score in the ninth inning when Edman grounded out to bring home Teoscar Hernández after a base on balls and Muncy's double put runners aboard. But Varland finished the game without allowing a comeback to develop.

Following a night when Toronto stranded a World Series-record 19 baserunners and collapsed after repeated of wasted chances, the fourth contest was ruthlessly efficient. Six different Toronto players recorded hits, five brought home scores and the squad cashed nearly every run-scoring chance presented in the final stanzas.

Next Up

The win ensures the World Series title will be presented at Rogers Centre, where the Blue Jays have not won a championship since Carter's iconic game-winning home run in 1993. They now know they are guaranteed a packed house in Toronto on Friday evening – and perhaps Saturday – no matter what occurs next in Los Angeles.

Game 5 looms with the matchup reset and energy swinging north. Dodgers left-hander Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to halt the Toronto's surge. The Blue Jays counter with rookie Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of Game 1, when the Toronto knocked out Snell early in an decisive victory.