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Less than a day following staggering through one of the most draining losses in Fall Classic history, the Toronto Blue Jays played with total command.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr crushed a two-run homer and Bieber delivered a composed start as the Blue Jays beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium, tying the Fall Classic at two wins apiece and guaranteeing the series will return to Canada.

Toronto had passed the morning of the next day dealing with their 18-inning third game defeat – tied for the longest Fall Classic contest ever – a defeat that denied them the chance to lead the matchup and depleted both relief corps. Manager John Schneider insisted afterwards that “they won a contest, not the championship”. Twenty-three hours later, his team offered emphatic evidence.

Early Innings

The Dodgers again scored first. Muncy drew a walk in the second, moved up on a base hit and scored on Hernández's fly out. But the initial score did not rattle a Blue Jays team that topped MLB with 49 come-from-behind victories this year.

They answered right away in the third inning. Nathan Lukes lined a one-out single to center field and Vladimir Guerrero Jr stepped in looking for a curveball. Ohtani left a slider up and he drove it screaming over the outfield fence. It was his first extra-base hit of the series and his 7th home run this playoffs – a new club record – restoring the Blue Jays's advantage after 13 scoreless frames and shifting the momentum of the game.

Ohtani's Performance

That swing also halted Shohei Ohtani's record-setting streak of 11 consecutive at-bats getting on base. The two-way star had hit two homers and got on base a historic nine times in the Los Angeles' third game comeback win. But on Tuesday, he took the mound on short rest – his briefest ever – after needing an IV to recover from the prior extra-inning game.

His fastball velocity sat below his regular-season average and he labored more as the contest wore on. Nonetheless, he displayed glimpses of his usual command, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero's blast and striking out six. He even walked in the first inning to extend his Fall Classic streak. But the Toronto forced him to labor: six hits and four earned runs were credited to him in over six innings.

Late Game Rally

The bigger issue for Los Angeles was what followed when he eventually ran out of steam.

Daulton Varsho started the seventh with a sharp hit to right, and Clement smashed a two-base hit off the fence to put runners on with no outs. Dave Roberts had no option but to pull the starter, who exited to a roaring applause from the local fans. The Los Angeles' bullpen could not finish the inning.

Banda came into the mess and immediately trailed in the count. Andrés Giménez battled to a 3-2 count before driving in the runner with a base hit to left. France came up next with a fielder's choice to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to knock Banda out of the contest. Blake Treinen entered next but also was unable to stop the momentum: Bichette and Barger punched run-scoring singles through the diamond, capping a four-score barrage that extended the lead to 6-1.

Blue Jays's Toughness

The Toronto's ability to withstand initial setbacks and answer has characterized their whole postseason. They once again succeeded without George Springer, the hurt leadoff man who exited the third game after tweaking his right side.

Shane Bieber, meanwhile, was exactly what the Blue Jays needed. Acquired mid-season while finishing recovery from elbow surgery, the ex- award-winning winner stranded multiple baserunners and quieted the Los Angeles' dangerous batting order. He allowed one earned run on four base hits and three walks before the manager summoned first-year left-hander Fluharty to face the heart of the order in the sixth. He required just 4 pitches to retire Max Muncy and Tommy Edman, protecting a fragile advantage that quickly grew safe.

Former starting pitcher Bassitt then worked a scoreless seventh and eighth as the Los Angeles' bats continued to sputter. Los Angeles have produced only three runs over their previous 20 innings, an sudden slowdown for a club that ranked among MLB's top lineups all year.

Final Innings

The Los Angeles scraped a run in the ninth when Edman grounded out to score Teoscar Hernández after a walk and Max Muncy's double put two aboard. But Varland finished the game without allowing a rally to build.

After a game when the Blue Jays stranded a Fall Classic-record 19 runners and collapsed after wave upon wave of wasted chances, Game 4 was ruthlessly effective. 6 different Toronto players recorded hits, 5 brought home scores and the team converted almost every scoring opportunity available in the final innings.

Looking Ahead

The victory guarantees the World Series trophy will be presented at Rogers Centre, where the Toronto have not won a championship since Carter's iconic game-winning homer in '93. They now know they are guaranteed a full crowd in Canada on Friday night – and perhaps the next day – no matter what occurs next in LA.

Game 5 approaches with the matchup reset and momentum shifting north. Dodgers left-hander Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will attempt to halt the Toronto's momentum. Toronto counter with rookie Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of the opener, when the Toronto chased Snell early in an 11-4 victory.