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Only 24 hours following staggering through one of the most exhausting defeats in Fall Classic history, the Toronto Blue Jays played with total command.

Guerrero crushed a two-run homer and Shane Bieber provided a steady start as Toronto defeated the Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium, squaring the World Series at two games each and ensuring the series will head back to Toronto.

The Blue Jays had spent the morning of Tuesday processing their marathon Game 3 loss – tied for the longest World Series game ever – a loss that denied them the opportunity to take the lead in the series and burned through both bullpens. Manager John Schneider insisted afterwards that “the Dodgers took a contest, not the championship”. Twenty-three hours later, his squad offered convincing proof.

Early Innings

The Los Angeles again struck first. Max Muncy walked in the second, advanced on a base hit and crossed the plate on Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the initial breakthrough did not rattle a Toronto team that topped Major League Baseball with 49 comeback wins this season.

They responded immediately in the third inning. Nathan Lukes hit a one away single to center field and Guerrero stepped in hunting a curveball. Ohtani left a slider up and Guerrero drove it soaring over the outfield fence. It was his initial long hit of the World Series and his 7th home run this postseason – a new club record – restoring the Toronto's advantage after 13 scoreless frames and changing the momentum of the night.

Shohei's Performance

That hit also halted Ohtani's history-making streak of 11 consecutive at-bats reaching base. The two-way phenomenon had smashed two homers and got on base a record nine times in the Los Angeles' third game walk-off. But on Tuesday, he took the mound on short rest – his briefest ever – after needing an IV to recover from the prior marathon.

Ohtani fastball velocity was under his regular-season average and he labored more as the game wore on. Even so, he showed flashes of his usual control, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero's blast and striking out six. He even drew a walk in the first to extend his World Series record. But the Blue Jays made him work: six base hits and four runs were charged to him in over six frames.

Seventh Inning Surge

The bigger issue for Los Angeles was what followed when Ohtani finally lost steam.

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

Anthony Banda inherited the jam and right away fell behind. Giménez battled to a 3-2 count before driving in Varsho with a base hit to left. Ty France followed with a groundout to make it 4-1, and that was enough to remove Banda out of the contest. Blake Treinen came in next but also failed to stop the rally: Bichette and Barger punched RBI base hits through the diamond, completing a four-run outburst that pushed the margin to 6-1.

Toronto's Resilience

The Toronto's capacity to withstand initial blows and answer has defined their entire postseason. They once again did it without Springer, the injured top-of-the-order man who exited Game 3 after tweaking his right side.

Bieber, meanwhile, was everything the Blue Jays needed. Acquired mid-season while completing recovery from elbow surgery, the ex- award-winning winner stranded several runners and quieted the Dodgers' dangerous batting order. He allowed one run on four base hits and three free passes before Schneider summoned first-year pitcher Fluharty to face the core of the lineup in the sixth inning. He required just 4 pitches to get out Muncy and Tommy Edman, preserving a narrow advantage that soon grew comfortable.

Converted starting pitcher Chris Bassitt then worked a scoreless seventh and eighth innings as the Los Angeles' offense continued to sputter. The Dodgers have produced only three runs over their previous 20 innings, an abrupt downturn for a team that was among MLB's elite offenses all season.

Closing Moments

The Dodgers managed a score in the ninth inning when Tommy Edman hit into an out to score Hernández after a base on balls and Muncy's double put runners on base. But Louis Varland finished the game without allowing a rally to develop.

Following a game when the Blue Jays left a World Series-record 19 runners and collapsed after repeated of missed chances, Game 4 was ruthlessly efficient. Six different Toronto players recorded hits, 5 brought home runs and the squad converted almost every scoring opportunity available in the late innings.

Next Up

The win guarantees the championship trophy will be awarded at their home stadium, where the Blue Jays have not won a title since Carter's famous walk-off home run in '93. They now are aware they are guaranteed a packed crowd in Canada on Friday evening – and possibly Saturday – no matter what happens next in LA.

The fifth game approaches with the series even and energy shifting north. Dodgers pitcher Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to halt the Toronto's momentum. Toronto counter with first-year player Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of the opener, when the Blue Jays knocked out the starter quickly in an 11-4 win.