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Less than a day following staggering through one of the most draining defeats in Fall Classic annals, the Toronto Blue Jays displayed total command.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr crushed a two-run home run and Bieber delivered a steady outing as Toronto beat the Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday evening at Dodger Stadium, tying the World Series at two wins apiece and guaranteeing the series will head back to Canada.

Toronto had passed the morning of Tuesday dealing with their marathon third game defeat – 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 relief corps. Skipper John Schneider stated afterwards that “the Dodgers won a contest, not the championship”. Twenty-three hours later, his squad offered emphatic proof.

Initial Action

The Dodgers again scored first. Max Muncy drew a walk in the second inning, advanced on a single and scored on Kiké Hernández's fly out. But the initial score did not shake a Blue Jays club that topped Major League Baseball with 49 comeback wins this year.

They responded immediately in the third inning. Nathan Lukes lined a one-out base hit to center field and Vladimir Guerrero Jr stepped in hunting a curveball. Shohei Ohtani threw a slider up and he drove it screaming over the outfield fence. It was his first long hit of the series and his 7th home run this playoffs – a new club mark – restoring the Blue Jays's lead after 13 shutout frames and changing the tone of the night.

Ohtani's Night

That swing also ended Ohtani's record-setting streak of 11 consecutive at-bats reaching base. The dual-threat phenomenon had smashed two home runs and reached safely a record nine times in the Dodgers' Game 3 comeback win. But on that night, he started on short rest – his briefest ever – after requiring an IV to recover from the previous extra-inning game.

His pitch speed was below his regular-season average and he labored more as the contest progressed. Nonetheless, he showed glimpses of his usual control, retiring 11 of 12 after Guerrero's homer and fanning six. He even walked in the first to extend his Fall Classic record. But the Toronto forced him to labor: six hits and four runs were charged to him in six-plus frames.

Late Game Rally

The larger problem for the Dodgers was what came next when he eventually ran out of energy.

Daulton Varsho started the seventh with a clean hit to right, and Ernie Clement drilled a double off the wall to put runners on with no outs. Dave Roberts had no option but to remove Ohtani, who departed to a roaring applause from the home crowd. The Los Angeles' bullpen could not complete the inning.

Anthony Banda came into the jam and right away trailed in the count. Giménez battled to a 3-2 count before scoring the runner with a single to left field. Ty France followed with a fielder's choice to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to knock the pitcher out of the contest. Blake Treinen entered next but also was unable to stop the momentum: Bo Bichette and Barger hit RBI base hits through the infield, completing a four-score barrage that pushed the margin to 6-1.

Blue Jays's Toughness

The Blue Jays's capacity to withstand initial setbacks and answer has defined their whole postseason. They once again did it without George Springer, the hurt leadoff man who left the third game after tweaking his right side.

Bieber, in contrast, was everything Toronto required. Acquired during the summer while completing recovery from Tommy John surgery, the former award-winning winner stranded multiple runners and quieted the Los Angeles' potent batting order. He allowed one earned run on four base hits and three walks before Schneider summoned first-year pitcher Fluharty to confront the heart of the order in the sixth. Fluharty needed just four throws to get out Max Muncy and Edman, protecting a fragile advantage that soon grew safe.

Converted starter Chris Bassitt then worked a clean seventh and eighth as the Dodgers' offense kept to struggle. The Dodgers have scored only three scores over their previous 20 frames, an sudden slowdown for a team that ranked among MLB's elite lineups all year.

Closing Moments

The Los Angeles managed a run in the ninth inning when Tommy Edman hit into an out to bring home Teoscar Hernández after a base on balls and Max Muncy's double put runners on base. But Louis Varland closed it down without permitting a rally to develop.

After a night when Toronto left a World Series-record 19 baserunners and fell apart after wave upon wave of missed chances, Game 4 was ruthlessly effective. 6 separate Blue Jays collected hits, 5 brought home runs and the squad converted nearly every run-scoring chance presented in the late stanzas.

Next Up

The victory guarantees the championship title will be awarded at their home stadium, where the Blue Jays have not won a championship since Carter's famous game-winning homer in '93. They now are aware they are guaranteed a full house in Canada on Friday evening – and perhaps Saturday – no matter what happens next in LA.

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