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Only 24 hours after enduring one of the most draining defeats in Fall Classic annals, the Toronto Blue Jays played with complete command.

Guerrero smashed a two-run home run and Shane Bieber delivered a steady outing as the Blue Jays beat the Dodgers 6-2 in the fourth game on Tuesday evening at their home ballpark, squaring the World Series at two games each and ensuring the series will return to Toronto.

Toronto had passed the morning of the next day dealing with their marathon third game defeat – tied for the lengthiest World Series game ever – a loss that denied them the chance to lead the series and burned through both relief corps. Skipper John Schneider stated later that “the Dodgers took a contest, not the World Series”. A day later, his team provided convincing proof.

Initial Action

The Dodgers again struck first. Max Muncy drew a walk in the second inning, moved up on a single and crossed the plate on Kiké Hernández's fly out. But the early score did not rattle a Toronto club that topped MLB with 49 comeback wins this year.

They responded immediately in the third. Lukes lined a one-out base hit to center field and Guerrero came to the plate looking for a breaking ball. Shohei Ohtani threw a slider up and Guerrero sent it screaming over the outfield fence. It was his first long hit of the World Series and his 7th home run this postseason – a new club mark – regaining the Toronto's advantage after 13 shutout innings and changing the tone of the night.

Shohei's Performance

That hit also ended Ohtani's history-making streak of 11 consecutive plate appearances reaching base. The two-way phenomenon had smashed two homers and got on base a historic nine times in the Los Angeles' Game 3 comeback win. But on Tuesday, he started on limited rest – his shortest ever – after requiring an IV to recuperate from the previous marathon.

His fastball velocity was below his regular-season average and he labored more as the contest wore on. Nonetheless, he displayed glimpses of his usual command, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero's blast and striking out six. He even drew a walk in the first inning to continue his Fall Classic record. But the Toronto made him work: six hits and four runs were charged to him in over six innings.

Seventh Inning Surge

The larger problem for the Dodgers was what followed when Ohtani eventually lost energy.

Daulton Varsho started the seventh inning with a clean hit to right, and Ernie Clement drilled a double off the fence to put runners on with none out. Dave Roberts had no option but to pull the starter, who exited to a standing ovation from the home crowd. The Los Angeles' relief corps could not complete the escape.

Banda came into the jam and immediately fell behind. Andrés Giménez fought to a full count before scoring Varsho with a single to left field. Ty France followed with a fielder's choice to make it 4-1, and that was enough to knock the pitcher out of the game. Treinen entered next but also failed to stem the rally: Bo Bichette and Barger punched run-scoring base hits through the infield, completing a four-run barrage that extended the margin to 6-1.

Toronto's Toughness

The Toronto's capacity to withstand early blows and respond has defined their whole run. They once again succeeded without Springer, the hurt top-of-the-order man who exited the third game after straining his oblique.

Shane Bieber, meanwhile, was exactly what the Blue Jays required. Acquired mid-season while finishing recovery from Tommy John surgery, the ex- award-winning winner stranded multiple runners and quieted the Los Angeles' dangerous batting order. He gave up one run on four base hits and three walks before Schneider summoned first-year left-hander Mason Fluharty to confront the core of the lineup in the sixth. Fluharty required just four pitches to retire Max Muncy and Tommy Edman, preserving a narrow lead that soon became comfortable.

Converted starting pitcher Chris Bassitt then pitched a clean seventh and eighth as the Los Angeles' offense kept to struggle. Los Angeles have produced only three runs over their previous 20 frames, an abrupt slowdown for a club that ranked among MLB's elite lineups all season.

Closing Innings

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

After a night when the Blue Jays stranded a World Series-record 19 baserunners and collapsed after repeated of wasted chances, Game 4 was ruthlessly efficient. Six separate Toronto players collected hits, five drove in runs and the team cashed almost every scoring chance available in the late stanzas.

Next Up

The victory guarantees the World Series title will be awarded at their home stadium, where the Blue Jays have not won a championship since Joe Carter's famous walk-off home run in '93. They now know they are assured a full house in Toronto on Friday evening – and perhaps the next day – no matter what happens next in Los Angeles.

The fifth game looms with the matchup even and momentum shifting north. Los Angeles left-hander Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will attempt to arrest the Blue Jays's momentum. Toronto counter with rookie Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of Game 1, when the Blue Jays knocked out the starter early in an 11-4 victory.