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

Guerrero smashed a two-run home run and Bieber provided a steady outing as the Blue Jays defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday evening at their home ballpark, tying the Fall Classic at two wins apiece and ensuring the matchup will head back to Toronto.

The Blue Jays had spent the early hours of the next day processing their 18-inning Game 3 loss – equal to the lengthiest World Series game ever – a defeat that denied them the opportunity to lead the matchup and burned through both bullpens. Manager Schneider insisted afterwards that “they took a game, not the World Series”. A day later, his team offered emphatic proof.

Initial Innings

The Los Angeles again struck first. Muncy walked in the second, advanced on a single and scored on Kiké Hernández's fly out. 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 lined a one away base hit to center field and Guerrero stepped in hunting a curveball. Ohtani left a slider up and Guerrero drove it screaming over the outfield fence. It was his initial extra-base hit of the series and his 7th homer this postseason – a new team mark – restoring the Blue Jays's lead after 13 scoreless innings and shifting the momentum of the game.

Shohei's Night

That hit also halted Shohei Ohtani's record-setting streak of 11 consecutive at-bats reaching base. The dual-threat phenomenon had hit two home runs and reached safely a historic nine times in the Los Angeles' third game comeback win. But on Tuesday, he started on limited rest – his briefest ever – after needing an IV to recover from the prior extra-inning game.

Ohtani pitch speed sat under his regular-season norm and he struggled more as the contest wore on. Even so, he showed flashes of his typical command, retiring 11 of 12 after Guerrero Jr's homer and fanning six. He even drew a walk in the first to extend his Fall Classic streak. But the Blue Jays made him work: six base hits and four earned runs were credited to him in six-plus frames.

Late Game Surge

The larger issue for the Dodgers was what came next when he finally lost steam.

Daulton Varsho started the seventh with a clean hit to right field, and Clement drilled a double off the wall to put runners on with none out. Dave Roberts had little choice but to pull the starter, who exited to a standing ovation from the local fans. The Los Angeles' bullpen could not finish the inning.

Anthony Banda came into the jam and right away fell behind. Andrés Giménez fought to a full count before driving in Varsho with a base hit to left. France followed with a fielder's choice 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 momentum: Bichette and Addison Barger punched run-scoring singles through the diamond, completing a four-run outburst that extended the margin to 6-1.

Blue Jays's Toughness

The Blue Jays's capacity to withstand initial blows and respond has defined their entire run. They once again did it without George Springer, the hurt top-of-the-order hitter who exited Game 3 after straining his right side.

Bieber, meanwhile, was exactly what Toronto required. Traded for mid-season while finishing recovery from Tommy John surgery, the former Cy Young winner stranded multiple baserunners and quieted the Los Angeles' potent lineup. He allowed one run on four hits and three free passes before the manager called on rookie pitcher Fluharty to confront the heart of the order in the sixth. He required just four pitches to get out Max Muncy and Edman, preserving a fragile lead that soon grew comfortable.

Former starter Bassitt then worked a clean seventh and eighth as the Los Angeles' offense continued to struggle. Los Angeles have scored only three runs over their previous 20 frames, an sudden downturn for a team that ranked among MLB's elite offenses all year.

Closing Innings

The Dodgers managed a score in the ninth inning when Edman grounded out to score Hernández after a walk and Max Muncy's double put two on base. But Varland finished the game without permitting a comeback to develop.

After a night when the Blue Jays stranded a Fall Classic-record 19 runners and fell apart after wave upon wave of wasted chances, Game 4 was brutally effective. Six separate Toronto players collected hits, five drove in scores and the team cashed almost every scoring opportunity available in the late innings.

Looking Ahead

The win ensures the World Series trophy will be awarded at their home stadium, where the Blue Jays have not celebrated a championship since Carter's iconic game-winning homer in '93. They now know they are assured a packed crowd in Canada on Friday night – and perhaps Saturday – no matter what occurs next in Los Angeles.

Game 5 looms with the series reset and energy shifting north. Dodgers left-hander Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will attempt to arrest the Blue Jays's momentum. The Blue Jays respond with first-year player Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of the opener, when the Toronto chased Snell quickly in an decisive victory.