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Less than a day following enduring one of the most exhausting defeats in Fall Classic history, the Toronto Blue Jays displayed complete control.

Guerrero smashed a two-run home run and Bieber delivered a steady outing as Toronto beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 in the fourth game on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium, tying the Fall Classic at two games each and guaranteeing the series will return to Canada.

Toronto had spent the early hours of Tuesday dealing with their marathon third game defeat – tied for the lengthiest World Series contest ever – a loss that denied them the opportunity to take the lead in the series and depleted both relief corps. Manager John Schneider stated afterwards that “the Dodgers took a game, not the championship”. A day later, his squad offered emphatic proof.

Early Action

The Dodgers again struck first. Max Muncy walked in the second inning, moved up on a single and scored on Hernández's fly out. But the initial breakthrough did not shake a Blue Jays club that led MLB with 49 come-from-behind victories this season.

They responded right away in the third inning. Lukes hit a one away base hit to centre and Guerrero stepped in looking for a curveball. Ohtani threw a sweeper up and he drove it soaring over the left-center wall. It was his first extra-base hit of the World Series and his seventh home run this postseason – a fresh club record – restoring the Blue Jays's lead after 13 shutout innings and changing the tone of the game.

Ohtani's Night

That hit also ended Shohei Ohtani's history-making streak of 11 consecutive plate appearances reaching base. The two-way star had hit two home runs and reached safely a historic nine times in the Dodgers' Game 3 walk-off. But on that night, he started 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 labored more as the contest progressed. Even so, he showed glimpses of his usual command, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero Jr's homer and fanning six. He even drew a walk in the first to extend his World Series record. But the Blue Jays made him work: six hits and four earned runs were charged to him in over six innings.

Late Game Surge

The bigger problem for Los Angeles was what followed when Ohtani finally lost energy.

Varsho started the seventh with a clean single to right, and Ernie Clement drilled a double off the wall to put two on with no outs. Dave Roberts had little choice but to pull the starter, who exited to a roaring applause from the home crowd. The Los Angeles' bullpen could not complete the inning.

Anthony Banda came into the jam and immediately fell behind. Giménez battled to a 3-2 count before driving in Varsho with a base hit to left field. France followed 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 was unable to stop the rally: Bichette and Addison Barger punched RBI singles through the infield, capping a four-score barrage that pushed the lead to 6-1.

Toronto's Toughness

The Blue Jays's capacity to withstand early setbacks and answer has characterized their whole run. They once again did it without Springer, the injured top-of-the-order hitter who left the third game after tweaking his right side.

Bieber, in contrast, was everything the Blue Jays required. Traded for mid-season while finishing recovery from elbow surgery, the ex- Cy Young winner stranded multiple baserunners and quieted the Dodgers' dangerous lineup. He gave up one run on four hits and three free passes before Schneider called on first-year left-hander Fluharty to face the heart of the lineup in the sixth. He required just four pitches to retire Max Muncy and Edman, protecting a fragile lead that soon became comfortable.

Converted starting pitcher Chris Bassitt then worked a clean seventh and eighth innings as the Dodgers' offense continued to struggle. Los Angeles have produced only 3 runs over their previous 20 frames, an abrupt downturn for a club that was among MLB's top lineups all season.

Final Moments

The Dodgers scraped a score in the ninth when Tommy Edman grounded out to bring home Teoscar Hernández after a base on balls and Muncy's two-base hit put two aboard. But Varland finished the game without permitting a rally to develop.

After a night when Toronto left a World Series-record 19 runners and fell apart after repeated of missed chances, the fourth contest was brutally efficient. 6 separate Toronto players recorded base hits, five drove in scores and the team cashed almost every run-scoring chance available in the final innings.

Looking Ahead

The win ensures the World Series trophy will be awarded at Rogers Centre, where the Blue Jays have not won a title since Carter's iconic game-winning homer in 1993. They now are aware they are assured a packed house in Canada on Friday evening – and perhaps the next day – no matter what happens next in Los Angeles.

The fifth game looms with the series even and energy swinging to Toronto. Los Angeles pitcher Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to halt the Blue Jays's surge. The Blue Jays counter with first-year player Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of the opener, when the Toronto chased Snell early in an 11-4 win.