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Only 24 hours after enduring one of the most exhausting losses in Fall Classic annals, the Blue Jays played with total control.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr crushed a two-run homer and Bieber delivered a composed outing as Toronto beat the Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday night at their home ballpark, squaring the Fall Classic at two wins apiece and ensuring the series will head back to Toronto.

Toronto had spent the early hours of Tuesday dealing with their 18-inning Game 3 loss – tied for the longest World Series contest ever – a defeat that cost them the chance to take the lead in the series and burned through both bullpens. Manager John Schneider insisted later that “they won a contest, not the championship”. A day later, his squad provided convincing evidence.

Initial Innings

The Dodgers again struck first. Max Muncy drew a walk in the second inning, moved up on a single and scored on Kiké Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the initial score did not shake a Toronto club that led MLB with 49 come-from-behind wins this season.

They answered immediately in the third inning. Lukes hit a one away base hit to centre and Vladimir Guerrero Jr came to the plate looking for a curveball. Shohei Ohtani threw a sweeper up and he drove it soaring over the left-center wall. It was his initial long hit of the World Series and his 7th homer this postseason – a new team mark – restoring the Blue Jays's lead after 13 scoreless frames and changing the momentum of the night.

Shohei's Night

That swing also ended Shohei Ohtani's history-making streak of 11 straight at-bats getting on base. The dual-threat phenomenon had smashed two home runs and got on base a historic nine times in the Los Angeles' third game comeback win. But on that night, he took the mound on limited rest – his briefest ever – after requiring an IV to recuperate from the prior marathon.

His fastball velocity was below his seasonal average and he struggled more as the game wore on. Even so, he displayed flashes of his typical command, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero Jr's homer and striking out six. He even drew a walk in the first to extend his Fall Classic streak. But the Toronto forced him to labor: six base hits and four runs were credited to him in over six innings.

Seventh Inning Rally

The bigger problem for Los Angeles was what came next when Ohtani finally lost steam.

Varsho started the seventh inning with a sharp hit to right field, and Clement smashed a two-base hit off the fence to put two on with no outs. Dave Roberts had little choice but to remove the starter, who exited to a roaring applause from the home crowd. The Dodgers' relief corps could not finish the inning.

Anthony Banda came into the jam and immediately fell behind. Giménez battled to a 3-2 count before driving in the runner with a base hit to left field. France followed with a groundout to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to knock Banda out of the game. Blake Treinen entered next but also was unable to stop the rally: Bichette and Addison Barger punched RBI singles through the diamond, completing a four-run barrage that extended the lead to 6-1.

Blue Jays's Toughness

The Toronto's capacity to withstand initial setbacks and answer has defined their entire postseason. They once again did it without George Springer, the injured leadoff man who left the third game after straining his right side.

Shane Bieber, in contrast, was everything Toronto required. Traded for during the summer while completing rehab from elbow surgery, the former Cy Young winner stranded multiple runners and quieted the Los Angeles' dangerous lineup. He allowed one earned run on four hits and three free passes before the manager called on first-year pitcher Mason Fluharty to confront the heart of the order in the sixth. He required just four throws to get out Max Muncy and Edman, protecting a narrow lead that quickly grew safe.

Former starting pitcher Chris Bassitt then worked a clean seventh and eighth as the Dodgers' offense kept to struggle. Los Angeles have produced only 3 runs over their last 20 frames, an sudden slowdown for a club that ranked among MLB's top lineups all year.

Final Innings

The Los Angeles scraped a score in the ninth inning when Tommy Edman hit into an out to bring home Teoscar Hernández after a walk and Muncy's double put two on base. But Varland closed it down without allowing a rally to develop.

After a game when the Blue Jays stranded a Fall Classic-record 19 runners and fell apart after wave upon wave of missed opportunities, Game 4 was brutally effective. Six different Blue Jays collected base hits, five drove in runs and the squad converted almost every scoring chance available in the late innings.

Next Up

The victory ensures the World Series trophy will be presented at Rogers Centre, where the Toronto have not won a title since Carter's iconic walk-off homer in '93. They now are aware they are guaranteed a packed house in Canada on Friday evening – and perhaps Saturday – no matter what occurs next in LA.

Game 5 looms with the matchup reset and momentum swinging north. Dodgers pitcher Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will attempt to arrest the Blue Jays's surge. The Blue Jays counter with rookie Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of Game 1, when the Blue Jays chased Snell early in an decisive victory.