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Less than a day following enduring one of the most exhausting defeats in World Series annals, the Blue Jays displayed complete command.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr smashed a two-run home run and Shane Bieber delivered a steady start as the Blue Jays defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday night at their home ballpark, squaring the Fall Classic at two games each and ensuring the series will head back to Canada.

Toronto had passed the morning of Tuesday processing their marathon Game 3 loss – equal to the longest World Series contest ever – a loss that cost them the opportunity to lead the series and burned through both relief corps. Manager John Schneider stated later that “they won a game, not the World Series”. A day later, his squad offered emphatic evidence.

Early Innings

The Los Angeles again struck first. Muncy drew a walk in the second inning, moved up on a base hit and scored on Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the initial score did not shake a Blue Jays team that led Major League Baseball with 49 comeback victories this year.

They responded right away in the third. Nathan Lukes lined a one away single to center field and Guerrero stepped in looking for a breaking ball. Shohei Ohtani left a sweeper up and Guerrero drove it soaring over the outfield fence. It was his initial long hit of the World Series and his 7th homer this postseason – a fresh team record – restoring the Blue Jays's advantage after 13 shutout innings and shifting the momentum of the night.

Shohei's Night

That hit also halted Ohtani's history-making run of 11 straight plate appearances reaching base. The two-way star had smashed two home runs and got on base a record nine times in the Dodgers' third game comeback win. But on that night, he took the mound on short rest – his shortest ever – after requiring an IV to recuperate from the previous extra-inning game.

His pitch speed sat below his seasonal average and he labored more as the game progressed. Nonetheless, he displayed glimpses of his usual control, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero Jr's blast and fanning six. He even drew a walk in the first to continue his World Series record. But the Toronto made him work: six base hits and four earned runs were credited to him in six-plus frames.

Seventh Inning Rally

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

Varsho started the seventh with a clean hit to right, and Clement smashed a double off the fence to put runners on with no outs. Roberts had little choice but to pull the starter, who exited to a roaring applause from the local fans. The Dodgers' relief corps could not finish the escape.

Anthony Banda inherited the jam and right away trailed in the count. Andrés Giménez fought to a full count before scoring Varsho with a single to left. France followed with a groundout to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to knock the pitcher out of the contest. Treinen came in next but also failed to stop the rally: Bichette and Barger punched RBI singles through the infield, capping a four-score barrage that pushed the margin to 6-1.

Toronto's Toughness

The Toronto's capacity to withstand initial blows and respond has characterized their whole run. They once again did it without Springer, the injured top-of-the-order man who exited Game 3 after straining his oblique.

Bieber, in contrast, was exactly what Toronto needed. Traded for during the summer while completing rehab from elbow surgery, the ex- award-winning winner left several baserunners and silenced the Dodgers' potent lineup. He allowed one run on four base hits and three free passes before Schneider called on first-year pitcher Mason Fluharty to confront the core of the lineup in the sixth. Fluharty needed just four throws to get out Muncy and Tommy Edman, protecting a fragile lead that soon became safe.

Former starting pitcher Chris Bassitt then pitched a clean seventh and eighth as the Los Angeles' offense continued to struggle. The Dodgers have produced only 3 runs over their last 20 innings, an abrupt slowdown for a team that was among MLB's elite offenses all year.

Final Moments

The Los Angeles managed a score in the ninth inning when Edman hit into an out to score Hernández after a base on balls and Max Muncy's double put two aboard. But Varland closed it down without permitting a comeback to build.

After a game when Toronto left a Fall Classic-record 19 baserunners and collapsed after repeated of wasted opportunities, Game 4 was ruthlessly efficient. 6 different Toronto players collected hits, 5 drove in runs and the team cashed almost every run-scoring opportunity presented in the late innings.

Looking Ahead

The victory guarantees the championship trophy will be awarded at Rogers Centre, where the Blue Jays have not celebrated a championship since Carter's famous walk-off home run in 1993. They now know they are assured a full crowd in Toronto on Friday night – and possibly Saturday – no matter what happens next in LA.

Game 5 looms with the matchup even and momentum shifting north. Dodgers left-hander Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to arrest the Blue Jays's surge. The Blue Jays counter with first-year player Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of the opener, when the Toronto chased Snell quickly in an 11-4 victory.