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Less than a day after staggering through one of the most draining defeats in Fall Classic history, the Toronto Blue Jays displayed complete control.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr crushed a two-run homer and Shane Bieber provided a steady start as the Blue Jays defeated the Dodgers 6-2 in the fourth game on Tuesday evening at their home ballpark, tying the Fall Classic at two games each and guaranteeing the series will return to Canada.

Toronto had spent the morning of Tuesday dealing with their 18-inning Game 3 loss – tied for the longest World Series game ever – a defeat that cost them the opportunity to take the lead in the matchup and burned through both bullpens. Manager John Schneider stated afterwards that “they won a game, not the championship”. Twenty-three hours later, his team provided convincing evidence.

Initial Action

The Los Angeles again struck first. Muncy walked in the second inning, advanced on a base hit and scored on Kiké Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the initial score did not shake a Blue Jays team that topped MLB with 49 come-from-behind victories this season.

They responded immediately in the third inning. Nathan Lukes hit a one away base hit to centre and Vladimir Guerrero Jr came to the plate hunting a breaking ball. Shohei Ohtani threw a slider up and Guerrero sent it soaring over the outfield fence. It was his initial extra-base hit of the series and his 7th home run this postseason – a new team record – restoring the Toronto's lead after 13 shutout innings and shifting the momentum of the night.

Shohei's Night

That swing also ended Shohei Ohtani's record-setting streak of 11 straight at-bats getting on base. The two-way phenomenon had hit two home runs and reached safely a historic nine times in the Los Angeles' Game 3 comeback win. But on Tuesday, he took the mound on limited rest – his briefest ever – after requiring an IV to recuperate from the previous extra-inning game.

His fastball velocity was below his seasonal norm and he struggled more as the game progressed. Even so, he showed flashes of his usual command, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero's blast and striking out six. He even walked in the first to extend his Fall Classic streak. But the Toronto forced him to labor: six base hits and four earned runs were credited to him in six-plus innings.

Seventh Inning Rally

The bigger issue for the Dodgers was what followed when Ohtani eventually ran out of steam.

Daulton Varsho started the seventh with a sharp hit to right field, and Clement drilled a double off the fence to put runners on with no outs. Dave Roberts had no option but to pull the starter, who departed to a roaring applause from the local fans. The Dodgers' relief corps could not complete the escape.

Banda inherited the mess and right away fell behind. Andrés Giménez fought to a 3-2 count before driving in Varsho with a single to left. France came up next with a groundout to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to knock the pitcher out of the game. Blake Treinen came in next but also failed to stop the momentum: Bichette and Addison Barger punched RBI base hits through the infield, capping a four-run outburst that extended the lead to 6-1.

Toronto's Toughness

The Toronto's ability to absorb early setbacks and answer has defined their entire postseason. They once again did it without Springer, the hurt leadoff hitter who left the third game after tweaking his oblique.

Shane Bieber, in contrast, was exactly what the Blue Jays required. Acquired mid-season while finishing rehab from Tommy John surgery, the ex- award-winning winner stranded several baserunners and silenced the Dodgers' dangerous lineup. He allowed one run on four hits and three walks before the manager summoned first-year pitcher Mason Fluharty to confront the heart of the lineup in the sixth. Fluharty needed just 4 pitches to get out Max Muncy and Tommy Edman, protecting a fragile lead that quickly grew safe.

Converted starter Bassitt then pitched a scoreless seventh and eighth innings as the Dodgers' offense continued to struggle. Los Angeles have produced only 3 runs over their last 20 innings, an sudden slowdown for a team that was among MLB's top offenses all season.

Closing Moments

The Los Angeles managed a run in the ninth inning when Edman grounded out to bring home Teoscar Hernández after a base on balls and Muncy's double put two on base. But Louis Varland closed it down without permitting a rally to develop.

After a night when the Blue Jays stranded a Fall Classic-record 19 runners and collapsed after wave upon wave of wasted chances, Game 4 was brutally effective. Six different Toronto players collected hits, 5 drove in runs and the team converted almost every run-scoring opportunity available in the late innings.

Looking Ahead

The victory guarantees the World Series title will be presented at their home stadium, where the Toronto have not celebrated a title since Joe Carter's famous walk-off home run in 1993. They now are aware they are guaranteed a full house in Toronto on Friday evening – and possibly Saturday – no matter what happens next in Los Angeles.

The fifth game approaches with the series reset and momentum shifting north. Dodgers pitcher Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will attempt to arrest the Toronto's momentum. Toronto respond with rookie Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of the opener, when the Blue Jays knocked out the starter early in an decisive victory.