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Only 24 hours following staggering through one of the most exhausting defeats in World Series history, the Blue Jays displayed complete command.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr crushed a two-run home run and Shane Bieber provided a steady outing as Toronto beat the Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday evening at their home ballpark, squaring the World Series at two games each and guaranteeing the series will head back to Toronto.

Toronto had spent the early hours of the next day processing their marathon Game 3 loss – equal to the longest Fall Classic game ever – a loss that cost them the chance to take the lead in the series and depleted both bullpens. Manager Schneider insisted later that “they won a game, not the World Series”. Twenty-three hours later, his team provided convincing proof.

Early Action

The Dodgers again scored first. Max Muncy drew a walk in the second inning, advanced on a single and crossed the plate on Kiké Hernández's fly out. But the initial breakthrough did not shake a Toronto club that led Major League Baseball with 49 come-from-behind victories this season.

They responded immediately in the third inning. Lukes lined a one away single to center field and Guerrero stepped in hunting a curveball. Shohei Ohtani left a sweeper up and he sent it screaming over the outfield fence. It was his initial long hit of the series and his seventh homer this postseason – a new club mark – restoring the Toronto's lead after 13 scoreless innings and changing the momentum of the game.

Ohtani's Performance

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

Ohtani pitch speed was under his regular-season average and he labored more as the contest wore on. Nonetheless, he displayed glimpses of his typical command, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero's homer and fanning six. He even drew a walk in the first to extend his Fall Classic streak. But the Toronto made him work: six hits and four runs were credited to him in six-plus frames.

Late Game Surge

The bigger issue for the Dodgers was what followed when he eventually ran out of energy.

Varsho opened the seventh with a sharp hit to right, and Clement smashed a double off the fence to put runners on with none out. Dave Roberts had no option but to pull the starter, who exited to a standing ovation from the local fans. The Dodgers' bullpen could not complete the inning.

Anthony Banda inherited the jam and right away fell behind. Andrés Giménez fought to a full count before driving in Varsho with a single to left field. Ty France came up next with a groundout to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to knock the pitcher out of the contest. Blake Treinen came in next but also failed to stop the rally: Bo Bichette and Barger punched RBI singles through the diamond, capping a four-run barrage that extended the margin to 6-1.

Blue Jays's Toughness

The Toronto's capacity to absorb early blows and respond has defined their whole postseason. They once again did it without George Springer, the injured top-of-the-order man who left Game 3 after tweaking his right side.

Bieber, meanwhile, was exactly what the Blue Jays required. Traded for during the summer while finishing rehab from Tommy John surgery, the ex- Cy Young winner stranded multiple baserunners and silenced the Dodgers' potent batting order. He gave up one run on four hits and three walks before Schneider summoned first-year pitcher Mason Fluharty to confront the heart of the order in the sixth inning. Fluharty required just four throws to retire Muncy and Tommy Edman, protecting a fragile lead that quickly became comfortable.

Converted starting pitcher Chris Bassitt then pitched a scoreless seventh and eighth as the Los Angeles' bats kept to sputter. Los Angeles have scored only 3 runs over their last 20 innings, an sudden downturn for a club that ranked among MLB's top offenses all season.

Final Innings

The Dodgers managed a run in the ninth inning when Edman grounded out to bring home Hernández after a base on balls and Muncy's double put two aboard. But Varland finished the game without permitting a comeback to develop.

Following a game when Toronto left a World Series-record 19 baserunners and fell apart after wave upon wave of wasted opportunities, Game 4 was brutally efficient. Six different Toronto players recorded base hits, 5 drove in scores and the squad cashed nearly every run-scoring opportunity available in the late stanzas.

Looking Ahead

The victory guarantees the World Series trophy will be presented at Rogers Centre, where the Blue Jays have not celebrated a championship since Carter's iconic walk-off homer in '93. They now are aware they are assured a full house in Canada on Friday evening – and perhaps the next day – no matter what happens next in Los Angeles.

Game 5 approaches with the series reset and momentum shifting north. Los Angeles left-hander Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to arrest the Toronto's momentum. Toronto respond with first-year player Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of the opener, when the Toronto knocked out Snell early in an decisive win.