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Only 24 hours following staggering through one of the most draining losses in World Series history, the Toronto Blue Jays displayed total control.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr smashed a two-run homer and Shane Bieber delivered a composed start as Toronto beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 in the fourth game on Tuesday evening at Dodger Stadium, tying the World Series at two wins apiece and ensuring the series will head back to Canada.

The Blue Jays had passed the early hours of the next day processing their marathon Game 3 loss – equal to the lengthiest Fall Classic contest ever – a loss that denied them the chance to lead the series and burned through both relief corps. Manager John Schneider insisted later that “they won a contest, not the championship”. A day later, his squad provided convincing proof.

Early Action

The Los Angeles again scored first. Max Muncy walked in the second, advanced on a single and crossed the plate on Hernández's fly out. But the early breakthrough did not rattle a Blue Jays team that topped Major League Baseball with 49 comeback wins this year.

They answered right away in the third inning. Lukes lined a one away base hit to center field and Guerrero stepped in hunting a breaking ball. Ohtani threw a slider up and Guerrero sent it screaming over the outfield fence. It was his initial extra-base hit of the series and his 7th homer this playoffs – a new club mark – regaining the Blue Jays's advantage after 13 scoreless frames and shifting the tone of the night.

Ohtani's Night

That swing also halted Ohtani's record-setting run of 11 consecutive at-bats reaching base. The dual-threat phenomenon had hit two homers and reached safely a historic nine times in the Dodgers' Game 3 comeback win. But on Tuesday, he started on limited rest – his briefest ever – after requiring an IV to recover from the previous marathon.

Ohtani pitch speed sat under his seasonal average and he labored more as the contest progressed. Even so, he displayed glimpses of his typical control, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero Jr's blast and striking out six. He even walked in the first inning to extend his Fall Classic record. But the Toronto made him work: six hits and four runs were credited to him in six-plus frames.

Seventh Inning Surge

The bigger issue for the Dodgers was what followed when he finally lost energy.

Varsho opened the seventh inning with a sharp single to right field, and Clement drilled a two-base hit off the fence to put two on with none out. Dave Roberts had little choice but to pull the starter, who departed to a standing ovation from the home crowd. The Los Angeles' relief corps could not complete the inning.

Anthony Banda inherited the mess and immediately trailed in the count. Giménez battled to a 3-2 count before driving in the runner with a single 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 entered next but also was unable to stop the rally: Bo Bichette and Barger punched RBI singles through the diamond, completing a four-run outburst that extended the margin to 6-1.

Toronto's Resilience

The Blue Jays's capacity to absorb initial setbacks and answer has characterized their entire postseason. They once again did it without Springer, the hurt top-of-the-order man who left Game 3 after straining his right side.

Shane Bieber, in contrast, was everything the Blue Jays needed. Acquired during the summer while finishing rehab from elbow surgery, the former award-winning winner stranded multiple baserunners and quieted the Dodgers' potent lineup. He allowed one run on four hits and three walks before the manager called on rookie left-hander Mason Fluharty to confront the heart of the order in the sixth inning. Fluharty required just 4 pitches to retire Max Muncy and Edman, protecting a fragile advantage that soon grew safe.

Former starter Bassitt then pitched a scoreless seventh and eighth innings as the Los Angeles' offense kept to sputter. The Dodgers have produced only 3 scores over their previous 20 innings, an sudden downturn for a club that was among MLB's top lineups all season.

Final Innings

The Dodgers managed a run in the ninth when Tommy Edman grounded out to score Hernández after a walk and Max Muncy's double put runners aboard. But Louis Varland finished the game without permitting a rally to develop.

After a night when Toronto left a Fall Classic-record 19 runners and collapsed after wave upon wave of wasted opportunities, the fourth contest was brutally efficient. Six different Toronto players collected base hits, five drove in runs and the team converted almost every run-scoring opportunity available in the final innings.

Looking Ahead

The win ensures the championship trophy will be presented at Rogers Centre, where the Toronto have not won a title since Joe Carter's iconic walk-off homer in '93. They now know they are assured a full crowd in Toronto on Friday night – and perhaps Saturday – no matter what happens next in Los Angeles.

Game 5 looms with the series even and momentum shifting to Toronto. Dodgers left-hander Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will attempt to arrest the Blue Jays's surge. The Blue Jays counter with first-year player Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of Game 1, when the Blue Jays chased the starter early in an decisive win.