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Less than a day after enduring one of the most draining losses in World Series history, the Toronto Blue Jays played with total control.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr smashed a two-run home run and Bieber delivered a steady start as Toronto defeated the Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium, tying the World Series at two wins apiece and ensuring the matchup will return to Toronto.

Toronto had passed the early hours of Tuesday dealing with their marathon Game 3 loss – equal to the longest World Series game ever – a loss that denied them the chance to lead the series and depleted both relief corps. Skipper John Schneider stated later that “they took a contest, not the championship”. A day later, his squad provided emphatic evidence.

Early Action

The Dodgers again struck first. Max Muncy drew a walk in the second, moved up on a single and crossed the plate on Kiké Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the early score did not rattle a Blue Jays club that topped Major League Baseball with 49 come-from-behind victories this year.

They answered immediately in the third inning. Lukes lined a one away single to center field and Vladimir Guerrero Jr stepped in hunting a breaking ball. Ohtani threw a slider up and Guerrero sent it screaming over the left-center wall. It was his first extra-base hit of the World Series and his seventh homer this postseason – a new club record – regaining the Toronto's advantage after 13 scoreless innings and changing the momentum of the game.

Shohei's Night

That swing also halted Ohtani's record-setting run of 11 straight plate appearances getting on base. The two-way phenomenon had hit two homers and reached safely a historic nine times in the Dodgers' Game 3 walk-off. But on Tuesday, he started on short rest – his shortest ever – after requiring an IV to recuperate from the prior marathon.

His fastball velocity was under his regular-season norm and he struggled more as the contest wore on. Nonetheless, he showed glimpses of his typical command, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero Jr's blast and striking out six. He even walked in the first inning to extend his World Series record. But the Blue Jays forced him to labor: six hits and four earned runs were charged to him in six-plus frames.

Seventh Inning Rally

The bigger issue for the Dodgers was what followed when Ohtani finally lost energy.

Daulton Varsho started the seventh with a clean single to right, and Clement drilled a double off the wall to put runners on with no outs. Roberts had no option but to remove Ohtani, who exited to a roaring applause from the home crowd. The Los Angeles' relief corps could not complete the escape.

Banda inherited the jam and right away trailed in the count. Andrés Giménez battled to a 3-2 count before driving in the runner with a single to left field. France followed with a fielder's choice to make it 4-1, and that was enough to knock Banda out of the contest. Blake Treinen came in next but also failed to stop the rally: Bichette and Barger punched run-scoring singles through the diamond, capping a four-score barrage that pushed the margin to 6-1.

Toronto's Toughness

The Toronto's ability to absorb initial setbacks and answer has characterized their entire run. They once again succeeded without George Springer, the hurt top-of-the-order hitter who exited Game 3 after tweaking his oblique.

Bieber, meanwhile, was everything the Blue Jays needed. Traded for during the summer while completing rehab from Tommy John surgery, the former Cy Young winner stranded several runners and quieted the Dodgers' potent lineup. He allowed one run on four base hits and three free passes before the manager summoned first-year left-hander Fluharty to face the core of the lineup in the sixth inning. He needed just four pitches to get out Muncy and Tommy Edman, protecting a fragile lead that soon became comfortable.

Former starter Bassitt then pitched a scoreless seventh and eighth innings as the Dodgers' offense kept to struggle. The Dodgers have scored only three scores over their last 20 frames, an sudden slowdown for a club that ranked among baseball's top lineups all season.

Closing Innings

The Dodgers managed a run in the ninth when Tommy Edman hit into an out to bring home 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 night when the Blue Jays left a World Series-record 19 baserunners and collapsed after wave upon wave of wasted chances, the fourth contest was ruthlessly efficient. Six separate Toronto players recorded base hits, five drove in scores and the squad cashed almost every scoring opportunity available in the late stanzas.

Looking Ahead

The victory guarantees the World Series trophy will be awarded at Rogers Centre, where the Toronto have not celebrated a championship since Joe Carter's iconic walk-off home run in 1993. They now know they are guaranteed a packed house in Canada on Friday evening – and possibly Saturday – no matter what happens next in Los Angeles.

The fifth game looms with the series even and momentum shifting north. Dodgers left-hander Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will attempt to arrest the Blue Jays's momentum. Toronto respond with rookie Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of Game 1, when the Blue Jays knocked out the starter early in an decisive victory.