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Only 24 hours after staggering through one of the most exhausting defeats in Fall Classic history, the Toronto Blue Jays played with total control.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr smashed a two-run home run and Shane Bieber provided a steady start as the Blue Jays defeated the Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday evening at Dodger Stadium, tying the World Series at two games each and guaranteeing the series will head back to Toronto.

The Blue Jays had spent the early hours of Tuesday processing their marathon Game 3 loss – equal to the lengthiest World Series contest ever – a loss that cost them the chance to lead the matchup and depleted both relief corps. Skipper Schneider stated later that “the Dodgers won a contest, not the championship”. Twenty-three hours later, his team offered emphatic evidence.

Early Innings

The Dodgers again struck first. Max Muncy walked in the second inning, advanced on a base hit and crossed the plate on Kiké Hernández's fly out. But the early breakthrough did not shake a Blue Jays team that led Major League Baseball with 49 come-from-behind wins this season.

They responded right away in the third. Lukes lined a one away single to centre and Vladimir Guerrero Jr stepped in hunting a curveball. Ohtani left a sweeper up and he sent it screaming over the left-center wall. It was his first extra-base hit of the series and his seventh homer this playoffs – a new team record – regaining the Blue Jays's lead after 13 shutout frames and changing the momentum of the night.

Ohtani's Performance

That hit also ended Ohtani's history-making run of 11 straight at-bats getting on base. The dual-threat star had smashed two homers and reached safely a record nine times in the Dodgers' third game walk-off. But on that night, he took the mound on short rest – his shortest ever – after requiring an IV to recuperate from the previous marathon.

His fastball velocity was below his seasonal norm and he labored more as the game wore on. Nonetheless, he showed flashes of his typical command, retiring 11 of 12 after Guerrero's homer and striking out six. He even walked in the first inning to extend his Fall Classic record. But the Toronto forced him to labor: six base hits and four earned runs were charged to him in over six frames.

Seventh Inning Surge

The larger issue for Los Angeles was what came next when he finally ran out of energy.

Varsho started the seventh with a sharp single to right, and Clement smashed a two-base hit off the fence to put runners on with none out. Dave Roberts had no option but to remove Ohtani, who departed to a standing ovation from the local fans. The Los Angeles' bullpen could not finish the inning.

Anthony Banda inherited the jam and right away fell behind. Andrés Giménez battled to a 3-2 count before scoring Varsho with a single to left. France came up next with a groundout to make it 4-1, and that was enough to remove Banda out of the contest. Blake Treinen entered next but also failed to stem the rally: Bichette and Addison Barger hit run-scoring base hits through the diamond, capping a four-score barrage that pushed the margin to 6-1.

Blue Jays's Toughness

The Toronto's ability to absorb early setbacks and respond has characterized their whole run. They once again did it without Springer, the hurt leadoff hitter who left Game 3 after straining his oblique.

Bieber, in contrast, was everything the Blue Jays needed. Acquired mid-season while finishing rehab from Tommy John surgery, the ex- award-winning winner left multiple runners and silenced the Los Angeles' potent batting order. He gave up one run on four base hits and three free passes before the manager summoned first-year left-hander Mason Fluharty to face the core of the lineup in the sixth. He required just 4 pitches to get out Muncy and Tommy Edman, protecting a fragile advantage that quickly grew comfortable.

Former starter Bassitt then pitched a clean seventh and eighth as the Dodgers' offense kept to sputter. The Dodgers have produced only three runs over their last 20 frames, an abrupt downturn for a team that ranked among MLB's top lineups all year.

Closing Innings

The Los Angeles managed a run in the ninth when Edman grounded out to score Teoscar Hernández after a walk and Max Muncy's two-base hit put runners aboard. But Varland finished the game without permitting a rally to develop.

Following a night when Toronto stranded a Fall Classic-record 19 runners and collapsed after repeated of wasted chances, the fourth contest was ruthlessly efficient. Six separate Blue Jays recorded hits, 5 drove in scores and the team converted almost every scoring opportunity available in the final stanzas.

Next Up

The victory 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 crowd in Toronto on Friday night – and perhaps Saturday – no matter what happens next in LA.

The fifth game approaches with the series reset and momentum swinging to Toronto. Los Angeles pitcher Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to halt the Toronto's momentum. Toronto counter with rookie Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of the opener, when the Blue Jays chased Snell quickly in an 11-4 win.