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Only 24 hours after staggering through one of the most exhausting losses in World Series history, the Blue Jays displayed complete command.

Guerrero crushed a two-run homer and Shane Bieber delivered a composed start as Toronto defeated the Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday evening at their home ballpark, tying the World Series at two wins apiece and ensuring the series will head back to Toronto.

The Blue Jays had spent the early hours of the next day processing their 18-inning third game defeat – tied for the longest World Series contest ever – a loss that cost them the chance to take the lead in the matchup and depleted both relief corps. Skipper John Schneider stated afterwards that “they won a contest, not the World Series”. Twenty-three hours later, his team offered emphatic proof.

Early Action

The Dodgers again scored first. Muncy drew a walk in the second, advanced on a base hit and crossed the plate on Kiké Hernández's fly out. But the early breakthrough did not shake a Toronto team that topped Major League Baseball with 49 come-from-behind wins this year.

They responded right away in the third. Lukes lined a one away base hit to center field and Guerrero stepped in looking for a breaking ball. Shohei Ohtani left a slider up and Guerrero sent it soaring over the left-center wall. It was his first extra-base hit of the World Series and his seventh home run this playoffs – a fresh team mark – regaining the Toronto's advantage after 13 scoreless innings and shifting the momentum of the game.

Shohei's Performance

That hit also halted Shohei Ohtani's record-setting run of 11 straight plate appearances getting on base. The dual-threat phenomenon had smashed two home runs and got on base a record nine times in the Dodgers' Game 3 comeback win. But on that night, he took the mound on short rest – his shortest ever – after needing an IV to recover from the prior marathon.

Ohtani fastball velocity was under his regular-season norm and he struggled more as the game wore on. Even so, he showed glimpses of his usual control, retiring 11 of 12 after Guerrero Jr's blast and striking out six. He even walked in the first inning to extend his World Series record. But the Blue Jays made him work: six base hits and four earned runs were charged to him in six-plus innings.

Late Game Surge

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

Varsho started the seventh with a sharp hit to right, and Clement smashed a double off the fence to put two on with no outs. Dave Roberts had no option but to remove the starter, who exited to a standing ovation from the home crowd. The Los Angeles' relief corps could not finish the escape.

Banda inherited the mess and right away fell behind. Andrés Giménez fought to a 3-2 count before driving in Varsho with a base hit to left. France came up next with a fielder's choice to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to remove the pitcher out of the contest. Treinen came in next but also was unable to stem the momentum: Bichette and Barger punched RBI base hits through the infield, completing a four-score barrage that pushed the lead to 6-1.

Blue Jays's Resilience

The Toronto's capacity to absorb initial setbacks and respond has characterized their whole postseason. They once again succeeded without George Springer, the hurt top-of-the-order hitter who left the third game after straining his oblique.

Shane Bieber, meanwhile, was exactly what the Blue Jays needed. Acquired mid-season while finishing rehab from Tommy John surgery, the ex- Cy Young winner left several runners and silenced the Dodgers' dangerous batting order. He gave up one run on four base hits and three free passes before Schneider summoned first-year left-hander Mason Fluharty to confront the heart of the order in the sixth inning. He required just four throws to retire Max Muncy and Edman, protecting a fragile advantage that quickly grew safe.

Former starting pitcher Chris Bassitt then worked a scoreless seventh and eighth as the Dodgers' bats continued to struggle. Los Angeles have produced only three scores over their previous 20 innings, an abrupt slowdown for a team that was among MLB's elite offenses all season.

Final Innings

The Los Angeles scraped a run in the ninth when Tommy Edman grounded out to score Teoscar Hernández after a walk and Max Muncy's double put runners aboard. But Varland closed it down without permitting a comeback to build.

Following a night when Toronto stranded a Fall Classic-record 19 baserunners and fell apart after repeated of wasted chances, Game 4 was brutally effective. Six separate Blue Jays collected base hits, 5 brought home scores and the team converted almost every run-scoring opportunity presented in the late innings.

Next Up

The victory guarantees the World Series title will be presented at Rogers Centre, where the Blue Jays have not celebrated a title since Joe Carter's famous walk-off homer in 1993. They now know they are guaranteed a full house in Canada on Friday night – and possibly the next day – no matter what occurs next in LA.

Game 5 approaches with the series reset and energy swinging to Toronto. Dodgers left-hander Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to halt the Toronto's momentum. The Blue Jays respond with rookie Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of Game 1, when the Toronto chased the starter early in an 11-4 victory.