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Less than a day after enduring one of the most draining losses in Fall Classic annals, the Blue Jays displayed total command.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr smashed a two-run home run and Bieber provided a steady outing as Toronto beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday evening at Dodger Stadium, tying the Fall Classic at two games each and ensuring the matchup will return to Toronto.

The Blue Jays had passed the morning of the next day dealing with their 18-inning third game defeat – tied for the lengthiest Fall Classic contest ever – a defeat that cost them the opportunity to lead the matchup and depleted both bullpens. Skipper John Schneider insisted afterwards that “the Dodgers won a game, not the World Series”. A day later, his team provided convincing evidence.

Initial Action

The Los Angeles again scored first. Muncy drew a walk in the second inning, advanced on a single and crossed the plate on Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the initial breakthrough did not rattle a Toronto club that led MLB with 49 come-from-behind wins this season.

They responded immediately in the third inning. Lukes hit a one away single to centre and Vladimir Guerrero Jr stepped in hunting a curveball. Ohtani threw a sweeper up and Guerrero sent it screaming over the outfield fence. It was his first long hit of the World Series and his seventh homer this playoffs – a new club record – regaining the Toronto's lead after 13 scoreless frames and changing the momentum of the game.

Shohei's Night

That hit also halted Shohei Ohtani's record-setting streak of 11 consecutive plate appearances reaching base. The dual-threat phenomenon had smashed two home runs and reached safely a record nine times in the Los Angeles' Game 3 comeback win. But on Tuesday, he started on limited rest – his shortest ever – after needing an IV to recover from the prior marathon.

His fastball velocity sat below his seasonal norm and he struggled more as the contest wore on. Even so, he showed flashes of his typical command, retiring 11 of 12 after Guerrero Jr's blast and fanning six. He even walked in the first inning to extend his Fall Classic streak. But the Toronto made him work: six base hits and four earned runs were charged to him in over six innings.

Late Game Surge

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

Varsho opened the seventh with a sharp single to right, and Ernie Clement smashed a double off the wall to put runners on with none out. Dave Roberts had little choice but to pull the starter, who exited to a standing ovation from the home crowd. The Dodgers' relief corps could not complete the escape.

Anthony Banda came into the mess and immediately fell behind. Andrés Giménez fought to a full count before scoring the runner with a single to left field. France followed with a groundout to make it 4-1, and that was enough to knock the pitcher out of the contest. Blake Treinen entered next but also failed to stem the momentum: Bo Bichette and Barger hit RBI singles through the infield, completing a four-run barrage that pushed the lead to 6-1.

Toronto's Toughness

The Toronto's ability to absorb initial blows and respond has characterized their whole run. They once again did it without George Springer, the hurt leadoff man who exited the third game after tweaking his right side.

Bieber, meanwhile, was everything Toronto needed. Acquired mid-season while completing rehab from Tommy John surgery, the ex- Cy Young winner left several runners and silenced the Dodgers' dangerous lineup. He allowed one earned run on four base hits and three walks before Schneider summoned first-year pitcher Mason Fluharty to confront the heart of the lineup in the sixth inning. Fluharty needed just 4 throws to get out Muncy and Edman, preserving a narrow advantage that soon grew comfortable.

Converted starter Chris Bassitt then worked a scoreless seventh and eighth innings as the Los Angeles' offense continued to sputter. The Dodgers have produced only three scores over their previous 20 innings, an abrupt downturn for a club that was among MLB's top lineups all season.

Final Innings

The Los Angeles scraped a score in the ninth inning when Tommy Edman hit into an out to bring home Teoscar Hernández after a base on balls and Muncy's double put runners aboard. But Varland closed it down without permitting a comeback to build.

Following a game when the Blue Jays stranded a Fall Classic-record 19 runners and collapsed after repeated of wasted chances, Game 4 was brutally effective. Six different Blue Jays collected base hits, five brought home scores and the team cashed nearly every scoring chance presented in the late stanzas.

Looking Ahead

The win guarantees the World Series title will be awarded at Rogers Centre, where the Blue Jays have not won a title since Carter's iconic walk-off home run in '93. They now know they are guaranteed a packed crowd in Canada on Friday night – and perhaps Saturday – no matter what happens next in Los Angeles.

Game 5 looms with the matchup reset and energy shifting north. Los Angeles left-hander Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to halt the Toronto's surge. The Blue Jays respond with first-year player Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of the opener, when the Toronto chased Snell quickly in an decisive win.