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Only 24 hours following enduring one of the most draining defeats in Fall Classic history, the Toronto Blue Jays played with complete command.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr crushed a two-run homer and Bieber delivered a composed outing as Toronto defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday evening at Dodger Stadium, squaring the World Series at two wins apiece and guaranteeing the matchup will head back to Toronto.

Toronto had passed the early hours of the next day processing their 18-inning Game 3 loss – equal to the longest World Series game ever – a defeat that denied them the opportunity to lead the series and burned through both bullpens. Skipper John Schneider stated later that “they took a contest, not the championship”. Twenty-three hours later, his squad offered emphatic evidence.

Initial Action

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

They answered right away in the third. Nathan Lukes hit a one away single to centre and Guerrero came to the plate hunting a curveball. Shohei Ohtani threw a slider up and he drove it soaring over the outfield fence. It was his initial extra-base hit of the series and his seventh homer this postseason – a new team mark – restoring the Toronto's advantage after 13 shutout innings and shifting the momentum of the game.

Shohei's Performance

That swing also halted Shohei Ohtani's record-setting streak of 11 consecutive at-bats getting on base. The two-way star had smashed two homers and reached safely a historic nine times in the Los Angeles' Game 3 walk-off. But on Tuesday, he took the mound on limited rest – his briefest ever – after requiring an IV to recuperate from the prior marathon.

His fastball velocity was under his regular-season norm and he labored more as the contest wore on. Nonetheless, he displayed glimpses of his typical control, retiring 11 of 12 after Guerrero's homer and fanning six. He even walked in the first inning 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 over six innings.

Late Game Surge

The bigger problem for Los Angeles was what followed when Ohtani finally ran out of steam.

Varsho opened the seventh inning with a sharp hit to right, and Clement drilled a two-base hit off the fence to put two on with none out. Roberts had no option but to remove Ohtani, who exited to a roaring applause from the local fans. The Dodgers' relief corps could not finish the inning.

Anthony Banda inherited the jam and right away trailed in the count. Andrés Giménez battled to a full count before driving in the runner with a single to left field. Ty France came up next with a groundout to make it 4-1, and that was enough to remove the pitcher out of the game. Blake Treinen entered next but also failed to stem the momentum: Bichette and Addison Barger punched run-scoring base hits through the diamond, capping a four-run barrage that extended the margin to 6-1.

Toronto's Resilience

The Toronto's capacity to withstand initial setbacks and respond has defined their whole postseason. They once again succeeded without George Springer, the hurt leadoff hitter who exited Game 3 after straining his right side.

Bieber, meanwhile, was exactly what the Blue Jays needed. Acquired during the summer while finishing recovery from Tommy John surgery, the former Cy Young winner stranded several baserunners and quieted the Dodgers' dangerous lineup. He allowed one run on four base hits and three walks before Schneider called on rookie left-hander Fluharty to confront the core of the order in the sixth. Fluharty needed just 4 pitches to get out Muncy and Tommy Edman, protecting a fragile lead that soon grew safe.

Former starter Bassitt then worked a scoreless seventh and eighth as the Los Angeles' bats kept to sputter. The Dodgers have scored only 3 runs over their previous 20 frames, an sudden downturn for a team that ranked among baseball's elite lineups all season.

Final Moments

The Los Angeles managed a run in the ninth when Tommy Edman grounded out to score Hernández after a base on balls and Max Muncy's two-base hit put two on base. But Louis Varland finished the game without allowing a rally to develop.

After a game when Toronto stranded a Fall Classic-record 19 baserunners and collapsed after repeated of missed opportunities, the fourth contest was ruthlessly effective. 6 separate Toronto players collected base hits, 5 brought home runs and the squad cashed nearly every run-scoring chance presented in the final stanzas.

Next Up

The victory ensures the World Series title will be presented at Rogers Centre, where the Toronto have not won a championship since Carter's iconic game-winning home run in '93. They now are aware they are assured a full crowd in Toronto on Friday evening – and possibly Saturday – no matter what occurs next in Los Angeles.

Game 5 approaches with the matchup even and energy shifting to Toronto. Dodgers left-hander Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will attempt to halt the Blue Jays's surge. Toronto counter with rookie Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of Game 1, when the Blue Jays chased Snell quickly in an decisive win.