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Less than a day after enduring one of the most draining losses in World Series history, the Blue Jays displayed total control.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr smashed a two-run home run and Shane Bieber delivered a steady outing as Toronto defeated the Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday evening at their home ballpark, tying the Fall Classic at two games each and ensuring the matchup will return to Canada.

The Blue Jays had passed the early hours of the next day dealing with their marathon third game defeat – equal to the longest World Series game ever – a loss that denied them the chance to take the lead in the matchup and burned through both bullpens. Skipper John Schneider stated afterwards that “the Dodgers took a contest, not the championship”. A day later, his squad offered emphatic evidence.

Early Action

The Los Angeles again struck first. Muncy walked in the second inning, moved up on a single and scored on Kiké Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the initial breakthrough did not shake a Blue Jays team that topped MLB with 49 comeback victories this year.

They responded immediately in the third inning. Lukes lined a one away base hit to centre and Guerrero came to the plate looking for a curveball. Ohtani threw a slider up and he sent it soaring over the left-center wall. It was his first extra-base hit of the series and his seventh homer this postseason – a fresh team mark – regaining the Toronto's lead after 13 scoreless innings and changing the momentum of the night.

Ohtani's Performance

That swing also halted Ohtani's history-making run of 11 consecutive at-bats getting on base. The dual-threat phenomenon had smashed two homers and got on base a record nine times in the Dodgers' third game walk-off. But on that night, he started on short rest – his shortest ever – after requiring an IV to recover from the previous marathon.

Ohtani fastball velocity was under his regular-season norm and he struggled more as the contest progressed. Even so, he displayed glimpses of his usual command, retiring 11 of 12 after Guerrero's blast and striking out six. He even drew a walk in the first inning to extend his World Series record. But the Blue Jays made him work: six base hits and four runs were credited to him in over six frames.

Seventh Inning Rally

The larger issue for the Dodgers was what followed when he finally lost steam.

Varsho opened the seventh with a clean hit to right, and Clement drilled a double off the wall to put runners on with no outs. Roberts had no option but to pull Ohtani, who exited to a standing ovation from the home crowd. The Los Angeles' bullpen could not finish the escape.

Anthony Banda came into the mess and right away trailed in the count. Andrés Giménez battled to a full count before driving in the runner with a base hit to left. France followed with a fielder's choice to make it 4-1, and that was enough to knock Banda out of the game. Blake Treinen entered next but also was unable to stem the rally: Bo Bichette and Addison Barger hit RBI singles through the diamond, capping a four-score outburst that extended the margin to 6-1.

Blue Jays's Toughness

The Blue Jays's ability to absorb initial blows and answer has defined their entire run. They once again did it without Springer, the hurt top-of-the-order hitter who left Game 3 after tweaking his oblique.

Shane Bieber, meanwhile, was exactly what Toronto needed. Acquired during the summer while completing recovery from elbow surgery, the ex- award-winning winner left multiple baserunners and quieted the Dodgers' dangerous lineup. He gave up one run on four base hits and three free passes before Schneider called on first-year left-hander Mason Fluharty to face the core of the lineup in the sixth. He required just four throws to get out Max Muncy and Edman, protecting a fragile advantage that soon grew safe.

Converted starter Chris Bassitt then pitched a scoreless seventh and eighth innings as the Los Angeles' offense kept to sputter. Los Angeles have produced only three scores over their previous 20 innings, an abrupt downturn for a club that ranked among MLB's elite offenses all season.

Closing Innings

The Los Angeles managed a run in the ninth inning when Tommy Edman hit into an out to score Hernández after a walk and Muncy's two-base hit put runners on base. But Louis Varland closed it down without permitting a comeback to develop.

After a game when the Blue Jays left a Fall Classic-record 19 runners and collapsed after wave upon wave of wasted chances, the fourth contest was brutally effective. 6 different Blue Jays recorded base hits, five brought home scores and the squad cashed almost every scoring opportunity available in the late innings.

Looking Ahead

The win guarantees the championship title will be awarded at their home stadium, where the Blue Jays have not won a title since Joe Carter's famous walk-off home run in '93. They now are aware they are guaranteed a full house in Toronto on Friday night – and possibly the next day – no matter what happens next in LA.

The fifth game approaches with the matchup even and momentum swinging to Toronto. Dodgers left-hander Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to arrest the Blue Jays's surge. Toronto counter with rookie Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of the opener, when the Blue Jays chased Snell early in an decisive victory.