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

Vladimir Guerrero Jr smashed a two-run homer and Shane Bieber delivered a steady start as the Blue Jays beat the Dodgers 6-2 in the fourth game on Tuesday evening at Dodger Stadium, squaring the Fall Classic at two wins apiece and guaranteeing the series will head back to Canada.

The Blue Jays had spent the morning of the next day dealing with their marathon third game defeat – tied for the lengthiest Fall Classic contest ever – a defeat that cost them the chance to take the lead in the matchup and depleted both bullpens. Skipper John Schneider stated later that “the Dodgers won a contest, not the World Series”. Twenty-three hours later, his squad provided emphatic evidence.

Early Innings

The Los Angeles again struck first. Max Muncy drew a walk in the second, advanced on a single and crossed the plate on Kiké Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the early score did not rattle a Blue Jays club that topped MLB with 49 come-from-behind wins this year.

They answered right away in the third. Lukes hit a one-out base hit to center field and Guerrero came to the plate hunting a curveball. Shohei Ohtani threw a slider up and he sent it soaring over the left-center wall. It was his first long hit of the World Series and his seventh home run this playoffs – a new club record – restoring the Toronto's advantage after 13 scoreless innings and shifting the tone of the night.

Shohei's Night

That swing also ended Ohtani's record-setting run of 11 consecutive plate appearances getting on base. The two-way phenomenon had hit two home runs and got on base a record nine times in the Los Angeles' Game 3 comeback win. But on Tuesday, he took the mound on limited rest – his shortest ever – after needing an IV to recover from the previous marathon.

Ohtani pitch speed sat below his regular-season average and he labored more as the contest progressed. Nonetheless, he showed glimpses of his usual control, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero's homer and striking out six. He even drew a walk in the first inning to extend his World Series streak. But the Toronto made him work: six base hits and four runs were charged to him in over six innings.

Seventh Inning Surge

The bigger problem for the Dodgers was what followed when he eventually ran out of energy.

Daulton Varsho opened the seventh with a sharp single to right, and Ernie Clement smashed a double off the fence to put two on with no outs. 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 complete the inning.

Anthony Banda inherited the mess and right away trailed in the count. Giménez fought to a full count before scoring Varsho with a single to left field. Ty France followed with a fielder's choice to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to knock the pitcher out of the game. Blake Treinen came in next but also failed to stem the momentum: Bichette and Barger hit run-scoring base hits through the infield, completing a four-run outburst that extended the margin to 6-1.

Toronto's Toughness

The Toronto's capacity to absorb initial blows and respond has defined their entire run. They once again succeeded without Springer, the hurt leadoff man who left the third game after tweaking his oblique.

Bieber, in contrast, was exactly what Toronto needed. Acquired during the summer while finishing rehab from Tommy John surgery, the former Cy Young winner left several baserunners and quieted the Los Angeles' potent batting order. He gave up one run on four base hits and three walks before Schneider summoned rookie left-hander Fluharty to face the heart of the lineup in the sixth. Fluharty required just 4 pitches to get out Max Muncy and Tommy Edman, preserving a narrow advantage that soon became comfortable.

Former starting pitcher Chris Bassitt then worked a scoreless seventh and eighth as the Los Angeles' offense continued to struggle. The Dodgers have scored only 3 scores over their last 20 innings, an sudden downturn for a club that was among baseball's elite lineups all year.

Closing Innings

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

After a night when Toronto left a Fall Classic-record 19 runners and fell apart after repeated of missed opportunities, the fourth contest was brutally efficient. 6 separate Blue Jays collected base hits, 5 drove in runs and the team converted nearly every run-scoring chance presented in the late innings.

Looking Ahead

The win ensures the World Series trophy will be awarded at their home stadium, where the Toronto have not celebrated a title since Carter's famous game-winning homer in '93. They now know they are assured a packed house in Canada on Friday evening – and perhaps the next day – no matter what happens next in LA.

The fifth game approaches with the matchup reset and momentum shifting to Toronto. Los Angeles pitcher Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to halt the Toronto's momentum. Toronto counter with rookie Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of the opener, when the Toronto knocked out Snell quickly in an decisive win.