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

Vladimir Guerrero Jr smashed a two-run homer and Bieber provided a steady start as the Blue Jays beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium, tying the Fall Classic at two games each and ensuring the series will head back to Toronto.

Toronto had passed the morning of the next day processing their marathon third game defeat – equal to the lengthiest Fall Classic game ever – a defeat that denied them the opportunity to lead the matchup and burned through both relief corps. Skipper John Schneider stated later that “the Dodgers took a contest, not the World Series”. Twenty-three hours later, his squad offered emphatic proof.

Early Innings

The Los Angeles again scored first. Muncy drew a walk in the second inning, moved up on a single and scored on Kiké Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the initial breakthrough did not rattle a Toronto team that topped MLB with 49 comeback victories this season.

They responded immediately in the third inning. Lukes lined a one away single to center field and Guerrero stepped in hunting a breaking ball. Shohei Ohtani threw a slider up and Guerrero drove it screaming over the outfield fence. It was his initial long hit of the World Series and his seventh homer this postseason – a new team record – restoring the Toronto's advantage after 13 shutout frames and shifting the momentum of the game.

Ohtani's Performance

That swing also ended Ohtani's record-setting run of 11 consecutive at-bats getting on base. The two-way star had smashed two homers and reached safely a record nine times in the Los Angeles' third game comeback win. But on that night, he started on limited rest – his briefest ever – after requiring an IV to recover from the prior extra-inning game.

Ohtani fastball velocity was below his regular-season norm and he labored more as the contest progressed. Even so, he displayed glimpses of his usual command, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero Jr's homer and fanning six. He even drew a walk in the first inning to extend his World Series record. But the Blue Jays made him work: six hits and four runs were charged to him in over six frames.

Late Game Rally

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

Varsho started the seventh inning with a sharp hit to right, and Clement drilled a two-base hit off the wall to put two on with no outs. Dave Roberts had no option but to remove the starter, who exited to a roaring applause from the home crowd. The Los Angeles' bullpen could not finish the escape.

Banda inherited the mess and immediately trailed in the count. Giménez battled to a full count before scoring the runner with a base hit to left. 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 was unable to stop the rally: Bo Bichette and Addison Barger hit RBI base hits through the infield, completing a four-score barrage that extended the lead to 6-1.

Blue Jays's Resilience

The Blue Jays's capacity to absorb initial blows and respond has characterized their whole run. They once again did it without George Springer, the hurt leadoff man who left the third game after straining his oblique.

Bieber, in contrast, was everything Toronto needed. Traded for mid-season while finishing recovery from Tommy John surgery, the ex- award-winning winner stranded multiple baserunners and quieted the Dodgers' potent lineup. He allowed one earned run on four base hits and three free passes before Schneider summoned rookie pitcher Fluharty to confront the core of the order in the sixth. He required just four pitches to retire Muncy and Edman, protecting a narrow advantage that quickly became safe.

Converted starting pitcher Chris Bassitt then pitched a scoreless seventh and eighth as the Dodgers' offense continued to struggle. The Dodgers have scored only three runs over their previous 20 frames, an sudden downturn for a club that ranked among baseball's elite lineups all year.

Final Moments

The Los Angeles managed a score in the ninth when Edman hit into an out to bring home Teoscar Hernández after a walk and Muncy's double put two on base. But Louis Varland finished the game without allowing a rally to build.

Following a game when Toronto stranded a World Series-record 19 runners and fell apart after wave upon wave of missed chances, Game 4 was ruthlessly effective. Six separate Toronto players collected hits, five brought home runs and the team converted nearly every scoring opportunity presented in the final innings.

Looking Ahead

The victory ensures the World Series title will be awarded at their home stadium, where the Blue Jays have not won a championship since Joe Carter's iconic game-winning homer in '93. They now know they are guaranteed a packed crowd in Toronto on Friday evening – and possibly Saturday – no matter what happens next in Los Angeles.

Game 5 approaches with the series reset and momentum shifting north. Los Angeles left-hander Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will attempt to halt the Toronto's surge. The Blue Jays counter with first-year player Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of Game 1, when the Toronto knocked out the starter early in an decisive win.