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Less than a day after enduring one of the most draining losses in Fall Classic history, the Toronto Blue Jays displayed total control.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr smashed a two-run home run and Bieber provided a steady start as Toronto defeated the Dodgers 6-2 in the fourth game on Tuesday evening at Dodger Stadium, squaring the Fall Classic at two wins apiece and guaranteeing the matchup will head back to Toronto.

Toronto had passed the early hours of Tuesday processing their marathon third game defeat – tied for the longest World Series game ever – a loss that cost them the opportunity to lead the series and depleted both relief corps. Manager John Schneider insisted afterwards that “they won a game, not the championship”. Twenty-three hours later, his squad provided convincing evidence.

Initial Innings

The Los Angeles again struck first. Muncy walked in the second inning, advanced on a single and scored on Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the early score did not shake a Toronto club that topped Major League Baseball with 49 come-from-behind victories this season.

They answered right away in the third inning. Lukes lined a one-out single to centre and Guerrero stepped in looking for a curveball. Ohtani threw a slider up and he drove it screaming over the left-center wall. It was his initial extra-base hit of the series and his seventh home run this playoffs – a new club record – restoring the Toronto's lead after 13 scoreless innings and changing the tone of the night.

Ohtani's Night

That swing also halted Ohtani's record-setting run of 11 straight at-bats reaching base. The two-way star had smashed two home runs and reached safely a historic nine times in the Dodgers' third game comeback win. But on that night, he took the mound on limited rest – his briefest ever – after needing an IV to recuperate from the prior marathon.

His fastball velocity was below his seasonal norm and he labored more as the contest wore on. Nonetheless, he displayed flashes of his usual command, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero's blast and striking out six. He even drew a walk in the first inning to continue his Fall Classic record. But the Blue Jays forced him to labor: six hits and four earned runs were credited to him in over six frames.

Late Game Rally

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

Daulton Varsho started the seventh with a sharp single to right field, and Ernie Clement drilled a double off the fence to put runners on with none out. Dave Roberts had little choice but to remove Ohtani, who departed to a roaring applause from the local fans. The Dodgers' relief corps could not complete the inning.

Banda came into the jam and right away fell behind. Giménez fought to a full count before scoring the runner with a single to left field. France came up next with a groundout to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to knock Banda out of the contest. Blake Treinen entered next but also failed to stem the momentum: Bichette and Addison Barger hit run-scoring base hits through the diamond, capping a four-score outburst that pushed the margin to 6-1.

Toronto's Resilience

The Blue Jays's capacity to absorb early blows and respond has characterized their entire postseason. They once again did it without George Springer, the hurt leadoff hitter who exited Game 3 after tweaking his right side.

Bieber, in contrast, was exactly what Toronto required. Acquired during the summer while finishing rehab from elbow surgery, the ex- award-winning winner left multiple runners and silenced the Dodgers' dangerous lineup. He gave up one run on four hits and three walks before Schneider summoned rookie left-hander Fluharty to confront the heart of the order in the sixth inning. He required just four pitches to get out Max Muncy and Edman, preserving a narrow advantage that soon became comfortable.

Converted starter Bassitt then pitched a scoreless seventh and eighth as the Dodgers' offense kept to sputter. Los Angeles have produced only three runs over their previous 20 frames, an abrupt downturn for a club that was among MLB's top offenses all year.

Closing Innings

The Los Angeles managed a run in the ninth inning when Tommy Edman hit into an out to bring home Teoscar Hernández after a base on balls and Muncy's two-base hit put runners aboard. But Louis Varland closed it down without permitting a rally to build.

After a night when Toronto left a World Series-record 19 runners and collapsed after repeated of wasted opportunities, the fourth contest was ruthlessly effective. Six different Toronto players collected hits, 5 brought home scores and the team cashed nearly every scoring opportunity available in the late stanzas.

Looking Ahead

The win guarantees the World Series trophy will be presented at Rogers Centre, where the Blue Jays have not celebrated a title since Joe Carter's famous walk-off homer in '93. They now are aware they are guaranteed a packed house in Canada on Friday night – and possibly Saturday – no matter what occurs next in LA.

Game 5 looms with the series reset and energy swinging north. Los Angeles pitcher Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to arrest the Blue Jays's surge. Toronto counter with rookie Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of Game 1, when the Toronto knocked out the starter early in an decisive win.