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Less than a day following staggering through one of the most exhausting losses in Fall Classic annals, the Toronto Blue Jays displayed complete control.

Guerrero crushed a two-run home run and Bieber delivered a steady outing as Toronto defeated the Dodgers 6-2 in the fourth game on Tuesday evening at Dodger Stadium, squaring the Fall Classic at two wins apiece and ensuring the matchup will return to Canada.

Toronto had spent the early hours of the next day processing their marathon third game defeat – equal to the lengthiest Fall Classic contest ever – a defeat that denied them the opportunity to lead the matchup and burned through both relief corps. Manager John Schneider insisted afterwards that “the Dodgers won a contest, not the championship”. A day later, his team provided emphatic evidence.

Early Innings

The Dodgers again struck first. Muncy walked in the second, advanced on a base hit and scored on Kiké Hernández's fly out. But the early breakthrough did not shake a Toronto club that topped MLB with 49 comeback victories this season.

They answered right away in the third. Nathan Lukes hit a one-out base hit to center field and Guerrero came to the plate looking for a curveball. Ohtani threw a sweeper up and he sent it soaring over the outfield fence. It was his initial long hit of the World Series and his 7th home run this postseason – a fresh club record – restoring the Toronto's lead after 13 shutout innings and changing the momentum of the game.

Shohei's Night

That swing also ended Shohei Ohtani's record-setting run of 11 consecutive plate appearances reaching base. The two-way star had hit two homers and reached safely a historic nine times in the Los Angeles' Game 3 walk-off. But on Tuesday, he took the mound on short rest – his shortest ever – after needing an IV to recover from the previous marathon.

Ohtani fastball velocity sat below his seasonal average and he struggled more as the contest progressed. Nonetheless, he showed flashes of his typical control, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero Jr's homer and fanning six. He even walked in the first inning to continue his Fall Classic record. But the Blue Jays forced him to labor: six hits and four runs were charged to him in over six innings.

Seventh Inning Surge

The bigger problem for the Dodgers was what came next when Ohtani finally ran out of energy.

Varsho opened the seventh with a sharp hit to right field, and Clement smashed a double off the fence to put runners on with no outs. Dave Roberts had no option but to remove Ohtani, who departed to a standing ovation from the local fans. The Dodgers' relief corps could not finish the escape.

Banda inherited the mess and right away fell behind. Andrés Giménez fought to a full count before driving in Varsho with a single to left field. Ty 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 game. Blake Treinen came in next but also was unable to stem the momentum: Bichette and Barger hit RBI base hits through the diamond, completing a four-run barrage that pushed the lead to 6-1.

Toronto's Toughness

The Blue Jays's ability to withstand early setbacks and answer has characterized their entire run. They once again did it without George Springer, the hurt leadoff man who left the third game after straining his right side.

Shane Bieber, meanwhile, was exactly what the Blue Jays required. Acquired mid-season while finishing recovery from elbow surgery, the ex- award-winning winner left several runners and quieted the Dodgers' potent batting order. He gave up one earned run on four base hits and three free passes before Schneider called on first-year left-hander Fluharty to face the core of the lineup in the sixth. He required just four pitches to retire Max Muncy and Edman, preserving a fragile lead that soon became comfortable.

Converted starting pitcher Bassitt then worked a clean seventh and eighth as the Dodgers' offense continued to sputter. Los Angeles have scored only 3 runs over their previous 20 frames, an abrupt downturn for a team that was among baseball's elite lineups all season.

Closing Innings

The Los Angeles scraped a score in the ninth inning when Edman grounded out to score Teoscar Hernández after a base on balls and Max Muncy's two-base hit put runners aboard. But Varland finished the game without allowing a rally to build.

Following a game when Toronto left a Fall Classic-record 19 baserunners and collapsed after repeated of missed opportunities, Game 4 was ruthlessly effective. 6 different Toronto players collected hits, 5 drove in scores and the squad cashed almost every run-scoring opportunity available in the final stanzas.

Looking Ahead

The win guarantees the World Series trophy will be presented at their home stadium, where the Blue Jays have not won a championship since Joe Carter's famous game-winning homer in '93. They now know they are guaranteed a packed house in Canada on Friday evening – and possibly the next day – no matter what happens next in LA.

Game 5 looms with the matchup reset and energy swinging north. Los Angeles left-hander Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will attempt to arrest the Toronto's momentum. Toronto respond with first-year player Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of Game 1, when the Blue Jays knocked out Snell quickly in an decisive victory.