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

Guerrero crushed a two-run homer and Bieber delivered a steady outing as Toronto defeated the Dodgers 6-2 in the fourth game on Tuesday evening at Dodger Stadium, squaring the World Series at two games each and guaranteeing the matchup will return to Toronto.

Toronto had spent the early hours of Tuesday processing their marathon Game 3 loss – equal to the lengthiest Fall Classic game ever – a loss that cost them the opportunity to lead the series and depleted both relief corps. Skipper John Schneider insisted afterwards that “they won a contest, not the championship”. Twenty-three hours later, his squad provided emphatic proof.

Early Action

The Los Angeles again scored first. Muncy walked in the second, advanced on a base hit and scored on Hernández's fly out. But the initial breakthrough did not rattle a Toronto club that led Major League Baseball with 49 come-from-behind victories this season.

They responded immediately in the third inning. Lukes lined a one-out base hit to centre and Guerrero stepped in hunting a curveball. Shohei Ohtani threw a slider up and Guerrero drove it soaring over the left-center wall. It was his initial long hit of the series and his seventh home run this playoffs – a new team mark – restoring the Blue Jays's advantage after 13 shutout innings and changing the momentum of the game.

Shohei's Night

That hit also halted Shohei Ohtani's history-making streak of 11 straight plate appearances reaching base. The dual-threat phenomenon had hit two homers and got on base 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 recuperate from the prior marathon.

His pitch speed sat under his regular-season average and he labored more as the game wore on. Nonetheless, he showed glimpses of his typical control, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero's blast and fanning six. He even drew a walk in the first to extend his Fall Classic streak. But the Blue Jays made him work: six hits and four earned runs were charged to him in over six frames.

Seventh Inning Surge

The larger problem for Los Angeles was what came next when he eventually lost energy.

Varsho started the seventh inning with a sharp single to right, and Ernie Clement smashed a double off the fence to put runners on with none out. Roberts had no option but to pull the starter, who exited to a standing ovation from the home crowd. The Dodgers' relief corps could not finish the inning.

Banda inherited the jam and immediately fell behind. Giménez battled to a 3-2 count before scoring the runner with a base hit to left field. France followed with a fielder's choice to make it 4-1, and that was enough to remove Banda out of the contest. Blake Treinen entered next but also was unable to stop the momentum: Bo Bichette and Barger punched run-scoring base hits through the diamond, capping a four-score barrage that extended the lead to 6-1.

Blue Jays's Toughness

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

Shane Bieber, meanwhile, was everything Toronto required. Traded for mid-season while completing recovery from elbow surgery, the former Cy Young winner left several baserunners and silenced the Los Angeles' potent batting order. He gave up one run on four hits and three walks before the manager called on rookie pitcher Mason Fluharty to face the core of the order in the sixth inning. He needed just four throws to get out Muncy and Edman, protecting a fragile lead that soon became safe.

Converted starting pitcher Bassitt then worked a scoreless seventh and eighth as the Dodgers' bats continued to struggle. Los Angeles have produced only 3 scores over their previous 20 frames, an sudden downturn for a team that was among baseball's elite offenses all year.

Closing Moments

The Dodgers managed a score in the ninth when Edman hit into an out to score Teoscar Hernández after a base on balls and Max Muncy's double put runners aboard. But Varland finished the game without allowing a rally to build.

After a night when Toronto stranded a Fall Classic-record 19 baserunners and collapsed after wave upon wave of missed opportunities, the fourth contest was ruthlessly efficient. 6 different Toronto players recorded hits, five brought home runs and the team cashed nearly every scoring chance presented in the late innings.

Next Up

The win guarantees the World Series title will be presented at Rogers Centre, where the Blue Jays have not won a championship since Joe Carter's iconic walk-off homer in '93. They now know they are assured a full house in Canada on Friday night – and perhaps the next day – no matter what happens next in LA.

Game 5 approaches with the matchup even and momentum shifting north. Los Angeles pitcher Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to arrest the Blue Jays's momentum. The Blue Jays counter with rookie Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of the opener, when the Blue Jays chased the starter quickly in an decisive victory.