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Only 24 hours after enduring one of the most draining defeats in Fall Classic history, the Blue Jays played with total control.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr smashed a two-run homer and Bieber delivered a steady outing 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 wins apiece and ensuring the series will head back to Canada.

Toronto had passed the morning of Tuesday processing their 18-inning Game 3 loss – equal to the longest Fall Classic game ever – a loss that denied them the opportunity to take the lead in the matchup and burned through both relief corps. Skipper John Schneider insisted afterwards that “they took a contest, not the championship”. A day later, his team provided emphatic proof.

Early Innings

The Dodgers again scored first. Muncy walked in the second, advanced on a single and scored on Kiké Hernández's fly out. But the initial score did not shake a Toronto team that topped Major League Baseball with 49 come-from-behind victories this year.

They responded right away in the third. Nathan Lukes hit a one-out single to center field and Guerrero stepped in hunting a curveball. Ohtani left a sweeper up and he drove it screaming over the outfield fence. It was his first long hit of the series and his seventh home run this postseason – a fresh team record – restoring the Toronto's lead after 13 scoreless frames and shifting the tone of the game.

Shohei's Night

That hit also ended Shohei Ohtani's history-making streak of 11 consecutive plate appearances getting on base. The two-way phenomenon had smashed two home runs and reached safely a historic nine times in the Los Angeles' Game 3 comeback win. But on Tuesday, he took the mound on short rest – his shortest ever – after needing an IV to recuperate from the prior marathon.

His fastball velocity sat below his seasonal average and he struggled more as the contest wore on. Even so, he showed glimpses of his usual command, retiring 11 of 12 after Guerrero Jr's blast and striking out six. He even walked in the first to continue his World Series streak. But the Blue Jays forced him to labor: six hits and four earned runs were credited to him in six-plus frames.

Seventh Inning Rally

The larger problem for Los Angeles was what came next when Ohtani eventually ran out of steam.

Daulton Varsho opened the seventh inning with a sharp hit to right, and Ernie Clement drilled a two-base hit off the fence to put runners on with none out. Dave Roberts had little choice but to remove Ohtani, who exited to a roaring applause from the home crowd. The Los Angeles' bullpen could not complete the inning.

Anthony Banda inherited the mess and right away fell behind. Andrés Giménez fought to a full count before scoring Varsho with a base hit to left. France came up next with a fielder's choice to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to knock the pitcher out of the game. Blake Treinen entered next but also was unable to stop the rally: Bo Bichette and Addison Barger punched run-scoring base hits through the diamond, capping a four-run outburst that pushed the lead to 6-1.

Toronto's Toughness

The Blue Jays's capacity to absorb early blows and respond has defined their entire run. They once again succeeded without George Springer, the hurt leadoff hitter who exited Game 3 after straining his oblique.

Bieber, in contrast, was exactly what Toronto required. Acquired during the summer while completing recovery from Tommy John surgery, the ex- award-winning winner left multiple baserunners and quieted the Los Angeles' potent lineup. He gave up one run on four hits and three walks before the manager called on first-year left-hander Mason Fluharty to face the core of the order in the sixth inning. He required just 4 throws to retire Max Muncy and Tommy Edman, preserving a narrow lead that quickly became comfortable.

Converted starter Chris Bassitt then worked a scoreless seventh and eighth innings as the Los Angeles' bats continued to struggle. Los Angeles have scored only 3 scores over their last 20 innings, an sudden downturn for a team that ranked among MLB's elite offenses all year.

Final Innings

The Los Angeles scraped a run in the ninth when Tommy Edman hit into an out to bring home Hernández after a walk and Max Muncy's double put runners aboard. But Varland finished the game without allowing a rally to develop.

Following a game when Toronto left a Fall Classic-record 19 baserunners and fell apart after wave upon wave of missed opportunities, the fourth contest was ruthlessly effective. Six different Toronto players collected base hits, five drove in scores and the squad cashed almost every run-scoring chance presented in the final innings.

Next Up

The victory guarantees the World Series title will be awarded at Rogers Centre, where the Toronto have not celebrated a championship since Joe Carter's famous game-winning home run in 1993. They now are aware they are guaranteed a full crowd in Toronto on Friday evening – and perhaps Saturday – no matter what occurs next in Los Angeles.

The fifth game looms with the matchup even and energy swinging north. Dodgers pitcher Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to arrest the Toronto's momentum. The Blue Jays counter with first-year player Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of the opener, when the Blue Jays knocked out Snell quickly in an decisive win.