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Only 24 hours following staggering through one of the most draining losses in Fall Classic annals, the Toronto Blue Jays displayed total control.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr crushed a two-run homer and Shane Bieber delivered a steady start as Toronto beat the Dodgers 6-2 in the fourth game on Tuesday evening at their home ballpark, tying the Fall Classic at two wins apiece and ensuring the series will return to Toronto.

The Blue Jays had spent the morning of the next day dealing with their marathon third game defeat – equal to the longest World Series game ever – a loss that cost them the chance to take the lead in the matchup and depleted both bullpens. Skipper John Schneider stated afterwards that “they took a contest, not the World Series”. Twenty-three hours later, his squad provided emphatic evidence.

Early Innings

The Los Angeles again scored first. Muncy walked in the second inning, moved up on a single and scored on Hernández's fly out. But the early breakthrough did not rattle a Toronto team that led Major League Baseball with 49 come-from-behind victories this season.

They responded right away in the third. Lukes lined a one-out base hit to centre and Vladimir Guerrero Jr came to the plate looking for a breaking ball. Ohtani threw a slider up and he sent it soaring over the outfield fence. It was his first extra-base hit of the World Series and his seventh home run this postseason – a fresh team record – regaining the Toronto's lead after 13 shutout frames and changing the tone of the night.

Ohtani's Performance

That swing also halted Shohei Ohtani's history-making run of 11 consecutive at-bats getting on base. The two-way star had hit two homers and got on base a record nine times in the Dodgers' Game 3 comeback win. But on that night, he started on limited rest – his shortest ever – after needing an IV to recuperate from the prior extra-inning game.

Ohtani pitch speed sat under his regular-season average and he labored more as the game progressed. Even so, he displayed glimpses of his typical command, retiring 11 of 12 after Guerrero Jr's homer and fanning six. He even drew a walk in the first inning to continue his Fall Classic record. But the Blue Jays made him work: six base hits and four earned runs were credited to him in over six frames.

Late Game Surge

The bigger problem for Los Angeles was what came next when Ohtani finally ran out of energy.

Varsho started the seventh with a clean hit to right, and Clement smashed a double off the wall to put two on with no outs. Roberts had no option but to remove Ohtani, who departed to a roaring applause from the local fans. The Los Angeles' bullpen could not finish the escape.

Anthony Banda came into the jam and right away trailed in the count. Andrés Giménez battled to a 3-2 count before scoring Varsho with a single to left. Ty France came up next with a groundout to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to remove the pitcher out of the contest. Blake Treinen entered next but also failed to stem the momentum: Bo Bichette and Addison Barger hit run-scoring base hits through the infield, capping a four-run outburst that extended the margin to 6-1.

Blue Jays's Resilience

The Blue Jays's capacity to absorb early blows and answer has defined their entire postseason. They once again did it without Springer, the injured leadoff hitter who left Game 3 after tweaking his oblique.

Bieber, meanwhile, was exactly what Toronto required. Acquired during the summer while finishing recovery from elbow surgery, the ex- Cy Young winner left multiple runners and silenced the Los Angeles' dangerous batting order. He allowed one run on four base hits and three free passes before the manager summoned first-year left-hander Mason Fluharty to confront the heart of the order in the sixth. He needed just 4 throws to retire Muncy and Edman, protecting a narrow advantage that quickly became comfortable.

Former starting pitcher Chris Bassitt then worked a clean seventh and eighth innings as the Los Angeles' offense continued to struggle. The Dodgers have produced only 3 scores over their previous 20 frames, an sudden slowdown for a club that ranked among baseball's elite lineups all year.

Final Innings

The Dodgers scraped a score in the ninth inning when Tommy Edman hit into an out to bring home Teoscar Hernández after a base on balls and Max Muncy's double put two aboard. But Varland finished the game without allowing a comeback to develop.

After a game when the Blue Jays left a World Series-record 19 baserunners and collapsed after wave upon wave of wasted chances, Game 4 was brutally efficient. Six separate Toronto players collected base hits, 5 drove in runs and the team converted almost every scoring opportunity presented in the late stanzas.

Looking Ahead

The win ensures the World Series trophy will be presented at Rogers Centre, where the Blue Jays have not celebrated a title since Carter's famous walk-off homer in 1993. They now know they are guaranteed a full house in Canada on Friday night – and possibly Saturday – no matter what happens next in Los Angeles.

Game 5 approaches with the series even and energy swinging to Toronto. Dodgers pitcher Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will attempt to halt the Toronto's surge. Toronto respond with rookie 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.