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Only 24 hours after enduring one of the most draining defeats in World Series annals, the Toronto Blue Jays displayed complete command.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr crushed a two-run home run and Bieber delivered a composed outing as Toronto beat the Dodgers 6-2 in the fourth game on Tuesday evening at Dodger Stadium, tying the World Series at two games each and guaranteeing the matchup will head back to Toronto.

The Blue Jays had passed the morning of the next day dealing with their marathon Game 3 loss – equal to the longest Fall Classic game ever – a loss that cost them the opportunity to take the lead in the series and depleted both bullpens. Skipper John Schneider insisted afterwards that “they won a contest, not the World Series”. A day later, his team provided convincing evidence.

Early Innings

The Dodgers again scored first. Muncy walked in the second, advanced on a single and scored on Hernández's fly out. But the initial breakthrough did not shake a Toronto club that topped Major League Baseball with 49 come-from-behind wins this year.

They responded immediately in the third. Lukes hit a one away base hit to centre and Guerrero came to the plate looking for a breaking ball. Shohei Ohtani threw a slider up and he drove it soaring over the outfield fence. It was his first long hit of the series and his seventh homer this playoffs – a new team mark – restoring the Toronto's advantage after 13 scoreless innings and changing the tone of the night.

Ohtani's Performance

That swing also halted Shohei Ohtani's history-making streak of 11 consecutive plate appearances reaching base. The dual-threat phenomenon had smashed two home runs and got on base a historic nine times in the Los Angeles' Game 3 walk-off. But on Tuesday, he took the mound on short rest – his shortest ever – after requiring an IV to recover from the previous marathon.

His pitch speed sat under his regular-season norm and he struggled more as the game wore on. Even so, he displayed flashes of his typical control, retiring 11 of 12 after Guerrero Jr's homer and striking out six. He even walked in the first to continue his Fall Classic record. But the Toronto forced him to labor: six base hits and four runs were charged to him in over six innings.

Seventh Inning Rally

The bigger problem for the Dodgers was what followed when he finally ran out of steam.

Varsho opened the seventh inning with a clean single to right field, and Ernie Clement drilled a double off the fence to put runners on with none out. Dave Roberts had little choice but to pull the starter, who exited to a roaring applause from the home crowd. The Los Angeles' relief corps could not complete the inning.

Anthony Banda came into the jam and right away fell behind. Giménez fought to a full count before driving in the runner with a base hit to left field. Ty France followed with a groundout to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to remove the pitcher out of the game. Treinen came in next but also failed to stop the momentum: Bichette and Addison Barger punched run-scoring base hits through the diamond, capping a four-run outburst that pushed the margin to 6-1.

Blue Jays's Toughness

The Blue Jays's capacity to withstand initial setbacks and respond has defined their entire postseason. They once again did it without Springer, the hurt leadoff hitter who left Game 3 after straining his right side.

Bieber, meanwhile, was everything Toronto needed. Traded for during the summer while completing recovery from elbow surgery, the ex- Cy Young winner stranded multiple baserunners and quieted the Los Angeles' dangerous batting order. He gave up one earned run on four base hits and three walks before Schneider called on first-year left-hander Fluharty to confront the core of the lineup in the sixth. Fluharty needed just 4 throws to get out Muncy and Tommy Edman, preserving a narrow advantage that soon grew comfortable.

Former starting pitcher Bassitt then pitched a scoreless seventh and eighth as the Dodgers' offense kept to struggle. The Dodgers have scored only 3 scores over their previous 20 innings, an sudden slowdown for a team that was among MLB's top offenses all year.

Closing Moments

The Dodgers scraped a score in the ninth when Edman grounded out to score Teoscar Hernández after a base on balls and Max Muncy's two-base hit put two on base. But Varland closed it down without permitting a rally to build.

After a game when Toronto left a World Series-record 19 baserunners and collapsed after wave upon wave of wasted opportunities, the fourth contest was brutally efficient. Six different Blue Jays collected hits, five brought home scores and the team converted nearly every scoring opportunity available in the late innings.

Next Up

The win ensures the World Series trophy will be awarded at Rogers Centre, where the Toronto have not celebrated a title since Joe Carter's iconic game-winning home run in '93. They now are aware they are assured a full house in Toronto on Friday evening – and perhaps the next day – no matter what occurs next in Los Angeles.

Game 5 approaches with the series reset and momentum swinging to Toronto. Dodgers left-hander Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to halt the Blue Jays's surge. Toronto counter with rookie Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of the opener, when the Toronto chased the starter quickly in an decisive victory.