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Only 24 hours following staggering through one of the most draining losses in World Series annals, the Blue Jays played with complete command.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr crushed a two-run homer and Shane Bieber provided a composed start as the Blue Jays beat the Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday evening at their home ballpark, squaring the Fall Classic at two wins apiece and guaranteeing the matchup will return to Canada.

The Blue Jays had passed the morning of Tuesday processing their 18-inning third game defeat – tied for the lengthiest Fall Classic contest ever – a loss that denied them the opportunity to take the lead in the series and depleted both relief corps. Skipper John Schneider stated afterwards that “they won a game, not the World Series”. Twenty-three hours later, his team offered emphatic evidence.

Early Action

The Los Angeles again struck first. Muncy drew a walk in the second inning, moved up on a single and crossed the plate on Hernández's fly out. But the early breakthrough did not rattle a Blue Jays club that led Major League Baseball with 49 come-from-behind victories this year.

They responded immediately in the third inning. Nathan Lukes hit a one away single to centre and Vladimir Guerrero Jr stepped in looking for a breaking ball. Ohtani threw a sweeper up and Guerrero drove it soaring over the left-center wall. It was his first extra-base hit of the World Series and his seventh homer this playoffs – a new club mark – regaining the Blue Jays's advantage after 13 scoreless innings and changing the momentum of the night.

Shohei's Performance

That swing also ended Ohtani's history-making streak of 11 straight plate appearances getting on base. The dual-threat phenomenon had hit two home runs and got on base a record nine times in the Dodgers' third game walk-off. But on that night, he took the mound on limited rest – his briefest ever – after needing an IV to recuperate from the prior marathon.

Ohtani pitch speed was under his regular-season norm and he struggled more as the game progressed. Nonetheless, he showed flashes of his typical control, retiring 11 of 12 after Guerrero's homer and striking out six. He even drew a walk in the first to continue his World Series streak. But the Blue Jays forced him to labor: six hits and four runs were charged to him in six-plus frames.

Late Game Surge

The bigger problem for the Dodgers was what came next when he eventually lost steam.

Varsho started the seventh with a clean single to right, and Clement drilled a two-base hit off the fence to put two on with none out. Dave Roberts had no option but to pull Ohtani, who exited to a standing ovation from the home crowd. The Los Angeles' relief corps could not finish the escape.

Anthony Banda inherited the jam and right away trailed in the count. Andrés Giménez battled to a full count before scoring Varsho with a single to left field. Ty France followed with a groundout to make it 4-1, and that was enough to remove Banda out of the game. Treinen entered next but also was unable to stem the momentum: Bichette and Barger punched RBI base hits through the diamond, completing a four-score outburst that pushed the lead to 6-1.

Blue Jays's Resilience

The Blue Jays's ability to absorb early blows and answer has characterized their whole run. They once again did it without Springer, the hurt top-of-the-order man who left the third game after tweaking his oblique.

Shane Bieber, meanwhile, was exactly what the Blue Jays required. Traded for mid-season while finishing rehab from Tommy John surgery, the former Cy Young winner left several baserunners and silenced the Dodgers' potent lineup. He gave up one earned run on four hits and three walks before Schneider summoned first-year left-hander Mason Fluharty to confront the core of the order in the sixth. He required just 4 throws to get out Muncy and Tommy Edman, preserving a narrow lead that soon became safe.

Former starting pitcher Chris Bassitt then pitched a clean seventh and eighth innings as the Dodgers' bats kept to struggle. Los Angeles have scored only 3 runs over their last 20 innings, an sudden downturn for a club that was among baseball's top lineups all season.

Final Moments

The Los Angeles managed a run in the ninth inning when Edman hit into an out to score Teoscar Hernández after a walk and Max Muncy's double put runners on base. But Varland finished the game without allowing a rally to build.

Following a night when the Blue Jays left a World Series-record 19 runners and fell apart after repeated of missed chances, Game 4 was ruthlessly efficient. Six different Blue Jays recorded hits, five drove in runs and the team converted nearly every scoring opportunity presented in the final stanzas.

Looking Ahead

The win ensures the World Series trophy will be presented at their home stadium, where the Blue Jays have not won a title since Carter's famous walk-off homer in '93. They now know they are guaranteed a full crowd in Toronto on Friday night – and possibly Saturday – no matter what occurs next in Los Angeles.

Game 5 approaches with the matchup even and momentum shifting to Toronto. Dodgers pitcher Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will attempt to halt the Blue Jays's momentum. The Blue Jays respond with rookie Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of the opener, when the Blue Jays chased Snell quickly in an 11-4 win.