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Only 24 hours following enduring one of the most exhausting defeats in World Series annals, the Blue Jays played with total control.

Guerrero smashed a two-run home run and Shane Bieber provided a steady outing as Toronto beat the Dodgers 6-2 in the fourth game on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium, squaring the Fall Classic at two wins apiece and guaranteeing the matchup will return to Canada.

The Blue Jays had passed the morning of the next day processing their 18-inning third game defeat – tied for the longest Fall Classic contest ever – a loss that denied them the opportunity to take the lead in the series and burned through both bullpens. Skipper Schneider stated afterwards that “they won a game, not the championship”. Twenty-three hours later, his team provided convincing evidence.

Early Action

The Dodgers again scored first. Max Muncy walked in the second, moved up on a single and crossed the plate on Hernández's fly out. But the early breakthrough did not shake a Blue Jays team that topped MLB with 49 come-from-behind wins this season.

They responded immediately in the third inning. Lukes hit a one away single to center field and Guerrero stepped in looking for a curveball. Shohei Ohtani threw a slider up and Guerrero drove it soaring over the left-center wall. It was his first long hit of the series and his 7th home run this playoffs – a fresh team mark – regaining the Blue Jays's lead after 13 shutout innings and shifting the tone of the game.

Shohei's Performance

That swing also ended Ohtani's history-making run of 11 straight at-bats reaching base. The two-way star had hit two homers and reached safely a historic nine times in the Dodgers' third game walk-off. But on that night, he started on short rest – his briefest ever – after needing an IV to recover from the previous marathon.

His pitch speed sat below his regular-season norm and he struggled more as the contest progressed. Nonetheless, he displayed glimpses of his usual control, retiring 11 of 12 after Guerrero Jr's blast and striking out six. He even drew a walk in the first inning to continue his Fall Classic record. But the Toronto forced him to labor: six hits and four earned runs were credited to him in over six innings.

Seventh Inning Surge

The bigger issue for the Dodgers was what came next when he finally lost steam.

Daulton Varsho started the seventh inning with a clean single to right, and Ernie Clement drilled a two-base hit off the wall to put two on with no outs. Roberts had no option but to remove the starter, who departed to a standing ovation from the local fans. The Dodgers' bullpen could not complete the inning.

Anthony Banda inherited the jam and right away trailed in the count. Giménez fought to a full count before scoring Varsho with a single to left. France came up next with a groundout to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to remove the pitcher out of the contest. Treinen entered next but also was unable to stop the rally: Bo Bichette and Barger punched run-scoring singles through the diamond, capping a four-score barrage that pushed the lead to 6-1.

Toronto's Toughness

The Toronto's ability to absorb initial setbacks and respond has defined their entire postseason. They once again succeeded without George Springer, the hurt top-of-the-order man who left Game 3 after straining his oblique.

Bieber, in contrast, was exactly what the Blue Jays needed. Acquired during the summer while finishing rehab from elbow surgery, the former award-winning winner left multiple baserunners and silenced the Dodgers' dangerous lineup. He allowed one earned run on four base hits and three free passes before Schneider summoned rookie left-hander Mason Fluharty to confront the core of the lineup in the sixth inning. He required just 4 throws to get out Max Muncy and Tommy Edman, protecting a fragile advantage that soon became safe.

Former starter Chris Bassitt then pitched a clean seventh and eighth as the Dodgers' offense continued to sputter. The Dodgers have produced only 3 scores over their last 20 innings, an sudden slowdown for a club that ranked among baseball's elite offenses all year.

Final Moments

The Dodgers scraped a score in the ninth inning when Tommy Edman hit into an out to score Hernández after a walk and Max Muncy's two-base hit put two aboard. But Varland closed it down without allowing a rally to build.

After a game when the Blue Jays stranded a World Series-record 19 baserunners and fell apart after wave upon wave of missed opportunities, the fourth contest was ruthlessly effective. 6 separate Blue Jays recorded hits, 5 drove in scores and the squad converted almost every run-scoring chance available in the final innings.

Next Up

The win guarantees the World Series title will be presented at Rogers Centre, where the Blue Jays have not won a championship since Carter's iconic walk-off homer in '93. They now are aware they are guaranteed a full house in Canada on Friday evening – and possibly Saturday – no matter what happens next in Los Angeles.

The fifth game approaches with the series reset and momentum swinging to Toronto. Los Angeles pitcher Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will attempt to halt the Blue Jays's surge. The Blue Jays respond with first-year player Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of Game 1, when the Blue Jays chased the starter quickly in an decisive win.