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

Guerrero smashed a two-run homer and Shane Bieber delivered a steady start as Toronto beat the Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday evening at Dodger Stadium, squaring the World Series at two games each and guaranteeing the matchup will head back to Canada.

Toronto had spent the early hours of Tuesday processing their 18-inning Game 3 loss – tied for the lengthiest World Series game ever – a loss that denied them the chance to take the lead in the matchup and burned through both relief corps. Manager Schneider stated afterwards that “the Dodgers took a contest, not the World Series”. Twenty-three hours later, his squad provided convincing proof.

Early Innings

The Los Angeles again scored first. Muncy walked in the second inning, moved up on a base hit and scored on Kiké Hernández's fly out. But the early breakthrough did not shake a Toronto team that topped Major League Baseball with 49 comeback victories this season.

They answered immediately in the third inning. Nathan Lukes lined a one-out base hit to centre and Guerrero stepped in looking for a curveball. Shohei Ohtani left a slider up and he drove it soaring over the outfield fence. It was his first long hit of the series and his 7th home run this postseason – a new club record – restoring the Toronto's advantage after 13 scoreless innings and changing the tone of the game.

Ohtani's Performance

That swing also ended Shohei Ohtani's record-setting run of 11 straight plate appearances reaching base. The two-way phenomenon had hit two home runs and got on base a historic nine times in the Dodgers' Game 3 walk-off. But on that night, he started on limited rest – his shortest ever – after needing an IV to recuperate from the previous extra-inning game.

His fastball velocity sat below his seasonal average and he struggled more as the contest wore on. Even so, he showed glimpses of his usual command, retiring 11 of 12 after Guerrero's blast and striking out six. He even walked in the first to extend his Fall Classic record. But the Toronto made him work: six base hits and four runs were charged to him in over six frames.

Seventh Inning Surge

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

Daulton Varsho started the seventh inning with a clean single to right field, and Ernie Clement drilled a two-base hit off the wall to put runners on with no outs. Roberts had no option but to remove Ohtani, who departed to a standing ovation from the home crowd. The Dodgers' bullpen could not finish the inning.

Banda inherited the mess and immediately trailed in the count. Giménez battled to a full 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 sufficient to knock Banda out of the game. Treinen came in next but also was unable to stem the momentum: Bo Bichette and Barger hit RBI singles through the diamond, capping a four-score outburst that extended the margin to 6-1.

Blue Jays's Resilience

The Toronto's capacity to withstand initial setbacks and respond has characterized their entire run. They once again did it without Springer, the injured top-of-the-order man who exited the third game after tweaking his oblique.

Bieber, in contrast, was exactly what Toronto needed. Acquired mid-season while completing rehab from elbow surgery, the ex- award-winning winner stranded several baserunners and silenced the Dodgers' dangerous batting order. He allowed one run on four hits and three free passes before Schneider called on rookie left-hander Fluharty to confront the core of the order in the sixth. He needed just four throws to get out Max Muncy and Edman, protecting a narrow advantage that quickly grew safe.

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

Closing Moments

The Dodgers scraped a run in the ninth inning when Tommy Edman hit into an out to score Hernández after a walk and Muncy's two-base hit put runners on base. But Louis Varland closed it down without allowing a rally to build.

After a game when the Blue Jays left a World Series-record 19 runners and fell apart after wave upon wave of wasted opportunities, the fourth contest was brutally efficient. Six different Toronto players recorded hits, 5 brought home runs and the squad cashed almost every scoring opportunity available in the final stanzas.

Looking Ahead

The victory ensures the championship title will be presented at Rogers Centre, where the Toronto have not celebrated a title since Joe Carter's famous game-winning home run in '93. They now know they are assured a packed crowd in Toronto on Friday evening – and perhaps Saturday – no matter what happens next in LA.

The fifth game approaches with the series even and energy shifting to Toronto. Los Angeles left-hander Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to halt the Toronto's momentum. Toronto respond with first-year player Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of the opener, when the Blue Jays chased the starter early in an decisive win.