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Only 24 hours after enduring one of the most draining losses in World Series history, the Toronto Blue Jays played with total command.

Guerrero smashed a two-run homer and Bieber provided a composed start as Toronto defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 in the fourth game on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium, squaring the World Series at two wins apiece and guaranteeing the series will head back to Toronto.

Toronto had spent the morning of Tuesday dealing with their 18-inning third game defeat – tied for the longest World Series contest ever – a loss that denied them the opportunity to lead the matchup and depleted both bullpens. Skipper Schneider insisted afterwards that “the Dodgers took a game, not the World Series”. A day later, his team provided emphatic evidence.

Initial Action

The Dodgers again struck first. Max Muncy walked in the second, moved up on a base hit and scored on Hernández's fly out. But the early breakthrough did not rattle a Toronto team that led MLB with 49 comeback victories this year.

They responded immediately in the third. Lukes lined a one-out single to centre and Vladimir Guerrero Jr came to the plate looking for a curveball. Shohei Ohtani threw a slider up and he sent it screaming over the outfield fence. It was his initial long hit of the World Series and his seventh home run this playoffs – a fresh team mark – regaining the Toronto's lead after 13 shutout frames and changing the tone of the game.

Ohtani's Night

That hit also ended Ohtani's record-setting run of 11 consecutive at-bats reaching base. The two-way star had hit two home runs and reached safely a historic nine times in the Dodgers' Game 3 comeback win. But on Tuesday, he started on short rest – his briefest ever – after needing an IV to recover from the previous marathon.

Ohtani fastball velocity sat under his regular-season average and he struggled more as the game progressed. Even so, he displayed flashes of his typical control, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero's blast and fanning six. He even walked in the first to continue his Fall Classic streak. But the Toronto made him work: six hits and four earned runs were credited to him in over six innings.

Late Game Surge

The larger problem for Los Angeles was what followed when he finally lost energy.

Daulton Varsho started the seventh inning with a clean hit to right, and Clement smashed a two-base hit off the wall to put runners on with none out. Dave Roberts had no option but to pull Ohtani, who departed to a roaring applause from the local fans. The Los Angeles' bullpen could not complete the inning.

Anthony Banda came into the mess and immediately trailed in the count. Giménez fought to a full count before driving in the runner with a base hit to left. Ty France followed with a fielder's choice to make it 4-1, and that was enough to remove Banda out of the game. Blake Treinen entered next but also failed to stem the rally: Bo Bichette and Addison Barger punched run-scoring singles through the infield, capping a four-score outburst that pushed the lead to 6-1.

Blue Jays's Resilience

The Blue Jays's ability to absorb initial setbacks and respond has characterized their entire postseason. They once again did it without George Springer, the hurt leadoff hitter who left the third game after straining his oblique.

Shane Bieber, in contrast, was exactly what Toronto needed. Traded for during the summer while completing recovery from elbow surgery, the ex- award-winning winner left several baserunners and quieted the Los Angeles' dangerous lineup. He allowed one run on four hits and three free passes before the manager summoned first-year pitcher Mason Fluharty to confront the core of the order in the sixth inning. Fluharty required just 4 pitches to get out Max Muncy and Edman, preserving a narrow advantage that soon grew safe.

Converted starter Chris Bassitt then worked a scoreless seventh and eighth innings as the Dodgers' offense kept to struggle. Los Angeles have produced only three runs over their last 20 innings, an abrupt slowdown for a club that was among baseball's top offenses all year.

Closing Moments

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 double put runners on base. But Louis Varland closed it down without allowing a rally to build.

After a night when the Blue Jays left a World Series-record 19 baserunners and collapsed after wave upon wave of missed chances, the fourth contest was ruthlessly effective. 6 separate Blue Jays collected hits, 5 drove in runs and the team converted nearly every run-scoring opportunity available in the final innings.

Looking Ahead

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

Game 5 approaches with the matchup even and energy shifting to Toronto. Los Angeles pitcher Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will attempt to arrest the Blue Jays's momentum. The Blue Jays counter with rookie Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of the opener, when the Blue Jays chased the starter early in an 11-4 victory.