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Less than a day following enduring one of the most draining defeats in World Series history, the Toronto Blue Jays played with complete command.

Guerrero crushed a two-run home run and Shane Bieber delivered a steady start as the Blue Jays defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 in the fourth game on Tuesday evening at their home ballpark, tying the World Series at two games each and ensuring the series will return to Canada.

Toronto had spent the early hours of the next day dealing with their 18-inning third game defeat – equal to the lengthiest Fall Classic contest ever – a loss that cost them the opportunity to lead the matchup and burned through both bullpens. Manager Schneider stated later that “they won a game, not the championship”. A day later, his team provided emphatic proof.

Initial Innings

The Dodgers again scored first. Max Muncy walked in the second, moved up on a single and crossed the plate on Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the initial score did not rattle a Blue Jays club that led MLB with 49 come-from-behind victories this year.

They answered immediately in the third. Lukes hit a one-out base hit to center field and Vladimir Guerrero Jr stepped in looking for a curveball. Ohtani left a slider up and he drove it screaming over the left-center wall. It was his initial extra-base hit of the series and his seventh home run this playoffs – a fresh team mark – regaining the Toronto's advantage after 13 shutout innings and shifting the momentum of the night.

Shohei's Night

That swing also ended Ohtani's history-making run of 11 straight plate appearances getting on base. The dual-threat phenomenon had smashed two home runs and reached safely a historic nine times in the Los Angeles' third game walk-off. But on that night, he took the mound on limited rest – his briefest ever – after requiring an IV to recover from the prior extra-inning game.

His pitch speed sat below his regular-season average and he struggled more as the game progressed. Even so, he displayed flashes of his typical command, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero Jr's blast and fanning six. He even drew a walk in the first to continue his Fall Classic record. But the Toronto made him work: six hits and four earned runs were credited to him in over six innings.

Late Game Rally

The bigger problem for the Dodgers was what followed when he finally lost steam.

Daulton Varsho opened the seventh inning with a sharp single to right field, and Ernie Clement drilled a two-base hit off the wall to put two on with none out. Roberts had little choice but to pull Ohtani, who departed to a standing ovation from the local fans. The Los Angeles' relief corps could not complete the inning.

Anthony Banda came into the jam and immediately trailed in the count. Andrés Giménez fought to a full count before driving in the runner with a base hit 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: Bo Bichette and Barger hit run-scoring base hits through the infield, capping a four-run outburst that extended the margin to 6-1.

Blue Jays's Toughness

The Blue Jays's ability to absorb early blows and answer has defined their entire postseason. They once again did it without George Springer, the injured leadoff hitter who exited the third game after straining his right side.

Shane Bieber, meanwhile, was exactly what Toronto needed. Acquired mid-season while completing rehab from Tommy John surgery, the ex- Cy Young winner left multiple baserunners and quieted the Los Angeles' dangerous lineup. He allowed one earned run on four base hits and three walks before the manager summoned first-year left-hander Fluharty to face the heart of the lineup in the sixth. He needed just four pitches to get out Max Muncy and Edman, protecting a fragile lead that soon grew comfortable.

Former starting pitcher Chris Bassitt then pitched a clean seventh and eighth as the Los Angeles' bats continued to struggle. Los Angeles have scored only three runs over their last 20 innings, an abrupt slowdown for a team that was among baseball's elite offenses all year.

Closing Innings

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

After a game when Toronto left a Fall Classic-record 19 baserunners and fell apart after repeated of missed chances, Game 4 was brutally efficient. Six different Blue Jays recorded base hits, 5 drove in runs and the team converted nearly every scoring opportunity available in the final stanzas.

Looking Ahead

The win ensures the championship title will be presented at Rogers Centre, where the Toronto have not celebrated a title since Carter's iconic game-winning home run in '93. They now are aware they are assured a full house in Toronto on Friday night – and possibly the next day – no matter what occurs next in LA.

Game 5 looms with the series reset and momentum swinging north. Los Angeles pitcher Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will attempt to halt the Blue Jays's surge. The Blue Jays counter with rookie Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of Game 1, when the Toronto knocked out the starter early in an decisive win.