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Only 24 hours after staggering through one of the most exhausting defeats in World Series history, the Toronto Blue Jays played with complete command.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr smashed a two-run home run and Shane Bieber delivered a composed outing as Toronto defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 in the fourth game on Tuesday night at their home ballpark, squaring the World Series at two games each and guaranteeing the series will return to Toronto.

The Blue Jays had spent the morning of the next day processing their 18-inning Game 3 loss – equal to the longest Fall Classic game ever – a defeat that cost them the opportunity to lead the series and depleted both relief corps. Skipper Schneider stated later that “they won a contest, not the World Series”. Twenty-three hours later, his team offered emphatic evidence.

Initial Innings

The Los Angeles again struck first. Muncy drew a walk in the second, moved up on a base hit and crossed the plate on Kiké Hernández's fly out. But the early breakthrough did not rattle a Blue Jays club that topped MLB with 49 comeback victories this season.

They responded right away in the third inning. Nathan Lukes hit a one-out base hit to centre and Vladimir Guerrero Jr stepped in hunting a breaking ball. Shohei Ohtani left a sweeper up and Guerrero drove it screaming over the outfield fence. It was his first long hit of the series and his seventh homer this postseason – a new club mark – restoring the Blue Jays's lead after 13 scoreless frames and shifting the momentum of the game.

Ohtani's Performance

That swing also ended Shohei Ohtani's history-making run of 11 straight plate appearances reaching base. The two-way star had hit two home runs and reached safely a record nine times in the Dodgers' third game comeback win. But on Tuesday, he started on limited rest – his shortest ever – after needing an IV to recover from the prior marathon.

His pitch speed was below his seasonal average and he labored more as the contest progressed. Even so, he displayed glimpses of his typical command, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero's homer and striking out six. He even drew a walk in the first to extend his World Series streak. But the Toronto made him work: six hits and four runs were charged to him in six-plus frames.

Late Game Rally

The bigger problem for Los Angeles was what followed when he finally ran out of energy.

Varsho started the seventh inning with a sharp single to right, and Clement smashed a two-base hit off the fence to put two on with no outs. Roberts had little choice but to pull the starter, who departed to a standing ovation from the local fans. The Los Angeles' relief corps could not complete the inning.

Banda inherited the mess and right away fell behind. Andrés Giménez battled to a 3-2 count before driving in Varsho with a base hit to left field. France followed with a fielder's choice to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to remove Banda out of the game. Blake Treinen entered next but also was unable to stem the momentum: Bichette and Barger hit run-scoring base hits through the infield, completing a four-run barrage that pushed the margin to 6-1.

Toronto's Toughness

The Blue Jays's ability to withstand initial blows and answer has defined their whole run. They once again did it without Springer, the hurt leadoff man who exited the third game after tweaking his oblique.

Shane Bieber, meanwhile, was exactly what Toronto required. Acquired during the summer while finishing recovery from Tommy John surgery, the ex- Cy Young winner left several runners and quieted the Los Angeles' dangerous batting order. He allowed one run on four hits and three walks before the manager summoned rookie pitcher Mason Fluharty to face the core of the lineup in the sixth inning. He needed just 4 pitches to retire Muncy and Tommy Edman, preserving a fragile advantage that soon became safe.

Converted starter Chris Bassitt then worked a scoreless seventh and eighth innings as the Los Angeles' bats continued to struggle. Los Angeles have scored only three runs over their previous 20 innings, an abrupt downturn for a team that was among MLB's top offenses all year.

Closing Innings

The Los Angeles scraped a score in the ninth inning when Tommy Edman hit into an out to score Teoscar Hernández after a walk and Max Muncy's two-base hit put runners on base. But Varland closed it down without allowing a rally to develop.

Following a night when Toronto stranded a Fall Classic-record 19 baserunners and collapsed after repeated of wasted opportunities, Game 4 was ruthlessly effective. 6 different Blue Jays recorded hits, 5 brought home scores and the squad cashed nearly every scoring opportunity available in the late innings.

Next Up

The win guarantees the championship title will be awarded at Rogers Centre, where the Blue Jays have not celebrated a championship since Carter's famous walk-off homer in '93. They now know they are assured a packed house in Toronto on Friday night – and possibly 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 attempt to arrest the Toronto's surge. Toronto counter with first-year player Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of the opener, when the Blue Jays chased Snell early in an decisive win.