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

Vladimir Guerrero Jr crushed a two-run homer and Bieber delivered a steady start as the Blue Jays defeated the Dodgers 6-2 in the fourth game on Tuesday evening at Dodger Stadium, squaring the Fall Classic at two games each and guaranteeing the series will return to Toronto.

The Blue Jays had spent the morning of the next day dealing with their marathon third game defeat – tied for the lengthiest Fall Classic game ever – a defeat that cost them the opportunity to take the lead in the matchup and depleted both bullpens. Manager John Schneider insisted afterwards that “the Dodgers won a game, not the World Series”. A day later, his squad provided emphatic proof.

Initial Innings

The Los Angeles again scored first. Max Muncy walked in the second inning, advanced on a single and crossed the plate on Kiké Hernández's fly out. But the early score did not shake a Toronto club that topped MLB with 49 come-from-behind wins this year.

They responded immediately in the third. Nathan Lukes hit a one-out base hit to centre and Vladimir Guerrero Jr stepped in looking for a breaking ball. Ohtani threw a sweeper up and he sent it screaming over the left-center wall. It was his first long hit of the series and his 7th homer this postseason – a fresh team mark – regaining the Blue Jays's advantage after 13 scoreless innings and changing the momentum of the night.

Shohei's Performance

That hit also halted Ohtani's record-setting streak of 11 consecutive plate appearances getting on base. The two-way star had smashed two homers and got on base a historic nine times in the Los Angeles' third game walk-off. But on that night, he took the mound on limited rest – his briefest ever – after requiring an IV to recuperate from the previous extra-inning game.

His fastball velocity sat under his regular-season average and he struggled more as the contest progressed. Nonetheless, he displayed glimpses of his usual command, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero's blast and fanning six. He even drew a walk in the first inning to extend his Fall Classic record. But the Blue Jays forced him to labor: six hits and four earned runs were charged to him in over six innings.

Seventh Inning Surge

The bigger issue for Los Angeles was what came next when Ohtani eventually lost steam.

Varsho started the seventh inning with a clean single to right, and Ernie Clement smashed a double off the fence to put two on with none out. Dave Roberts had no option but to pull the starter, who departed to a standing ovation from the local fans. The Los Angeles' bullpen could not finish the inning.

Banda inherited the mess and immediately fell behind. Andrés Giménez fought to a 3-2 count before driving in Varsho with a single to left field. Ty France came up next with a groundout to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to knock Banda out of the contest. Treinen entered next but also failed to stem the momentum: Bichette and Addison Barger punched RBI base hits through the diamond, capping a four-score barrage that extended the lead to 6-1.

Toronto's Resilience

The Toronto's capacity to withstand early blows and answer has defined their entire postseason. They once again did it without Springer, the hurt leadoff man who left Game 3 after tweaking his right side.

Shane Bieber, in contrast, was everything Toronto required. Acquired mid-season while completing rehab from Tommy John surgery, the ex- award-winning winner stranded multiple runners and quieted the Dodgers' dangerous lineup. He allowed one earned run on four hits and three free passes before Schneider called on rookie pitcher Fluharty to face the core of the order in the sixth. Fluharty required just four throws to retire Muncy and Edman, preserving a fragile advantage that quickly became comfortable.

Converted starting pitcher Bassitt then pitched a clean seventh and eighth as the Los Angeles' bats continued to struggle. Los Angeles have produced only 3 scores over their previous 20 innings, an sudden downturn for a club that ranked among MLB's top lineups all season.

Final Moments

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

After a night when Toronto left a Fall Classic-record 19 runners and collapsed after wave upon wave of wasted chances, Game 4 was ruthlessly effective. 6 different Toronto players collected base hits, 5 brought home scores and the team converted almost every run-scoring chance available in the final innings.

Looking Ahead

The win ensures the championship trophy will be presented at Rogers Centre, where the Blue Jays have not celebrated a championship since Carter's iconic game-winning homer in 1993. They now are aware they are assured a full crowd in Canada on Friday night – and perhaps the next day – no matter what happens next in LA.

The fifth game looms with the series even and momentum swinging to Toronto. Dodgers pitcher Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to halt the Blue Jays's momentum. The Blue Jays counter with rookie Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of Game 1, when the Toronto chased Snell early in an 11-4 victory.