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Only 24 hours after enduring one of the most exhausting losses in World Series annals, the Blue Jays displayed total command.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr crushed a two-run homer and Bieber provided a steady outing as Toronto defeated the Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday evening at Dodger Stadium, tying the World Series at two wins apiece and guaranteeing the series will head back to Canada.

The Blue Jays had passed the early hours of the next day dealing with their marathon Game 3 loss – tied for the lengthiest World Series contest ever – a loss that denied them the chance to take the lead in the matchup and burned through both relief corps. Skipper Schneider insisted later that “the Dodgers took a game, not the championship”. Twenty-three hours later, his squad offered emphatic evidence.

Early Action

The Los Angeles again scored first. Muncy drew a walk in the second inning, advanced on a base hit and crossed the plate on Hernández's fly out. But the initial score did not shake a Toronto club that led MLB with 49 comeback victories this season.

They responded immediately in the third inning. Nathan Lukes hit a one-out single to center field and Guerrero came to the plate hunting a curveball. Ohtani threw a slider up and he drove it screaming over the left-center wall. It was his first long hit of the series and his 7th homer this playoffs – a new team record – regaining the Toronto's lead after 13 scoreless innings and changing the tone of the night.

Shohei's Night

That hit also ended Ohtani's record-setting run of 11 consecutive plate appearances getting on base. The dual-threat star had hit two home runs and reached safely a historic nine times in the Los Angeles' third game walk-off. But on Tuesday, he started on limited rest – his briefest ever – after needing an IV to recover from the prior extra-inning game.

Ohtani pitch speed was under his seasonal average and he labored more as the contest wore on. Even so, he showed flashes of his typical control, retiring 11 of 12 after Guerrero Jr's homer and striking out six. He even drew a walk in the first inning to continue his World Series record. But the Blue Jays forced him to labor: six base hits and four runs were credited to him in six-plus frames.

Late Game Surge

The larger issue for Los Angeles was what followed when Ohtani eventually lost steam.

Daulton Varsho opened the seventh with a clean hit to right, and Ernie Clement drilled a double off the fence to put two on with no outs. Roberts had little choice but to pull the starter, who exited to a standing ovation from the home crowd. The Los Angeles' relief corps could not complete the escape.

Anthony Banda came into the jam and right away fell behind. Andrés Giménez fought to a full count before scoring the runner with a single to left field. France followed with a fielder's choice to make it 4-1, and that was enough to remove the pitcher out of the game. Blake Treinen came in next but also was unable to stem the rally: Bo Bichette and Barger hit RBI singles through the diamond, capping a four-run barrage that pushed the margin to 6-1.

Toronto's Toughness

The Toronto's ability to absorb early setbacks and respond has defined their whole run. They once again succeeded without Springer, the hurt top-of-the-order man who left Game 3 after tweaking his oblique.

Bieber, meanwhile, was everything Toronto needed. Acquired during the summer while completing recovery from elbow surgery, the former award-winning winner stranded several baserunners and quieted the Dodgers' potent lineup. He gave up one run on four hits and three walks before Schneider summoned rookie pitcher Mason Fluharty to face the heart of the order in the sixth. Fluharty required just 4 pitches to retire Max Muncy and Edman, protecting a narrow lead that soon became safe.

Converted starting pitcher Chris Bassitt then pitched a scoreless seventh and eighth as the Los Angeles' offense kept to struggle. Los Angeles have scored only 3 scores over their previous 20 frames, an abrupt slowdown for a team that ranked among baseball's top offenses all season.

Closing Innings

The Los Angeles managed a run in the ninth inning when Edman hit into an out to score Hernández after a base on balls and Muncy's double put two aboard. But Varland closed it down without allowing a comeback to develop.

After a game when the Blue Jays left a World Series-record 19 baserunners and collapsed after repeated of wasted opportunities, the fourth contest was brutally efficient. Six different Toronto players recorded base hits, 5 drove in runs and the squad cashed almost every run-scoring opportunity available in the late innings.

Looking Ahead

The win ensures the championship trophy will be awarded at their home stadium, where the Blue Jays have not won a title since Carter's famous walk-off homer in 1993. They now are aware they are assured a full crowd in Toronto on Friday evening – and possibly the next day – no matter what occurs next in Los Angeles.

The fifth game looms with the matchup even and energy swinging to Toronto. Los Angeles pitcher Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will attempt to arrest the Toronto's surge. Toronto counter with rookie Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of Game 1, when the Toronto knocked out the starter early in an decisive victory.