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Less than a day after enduring one of the most draining defeats in World Series annals, the Blue Jays displayed total command.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr crushed a two-run homer and Bieber delivered a composed start as Toronto beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium, tying the World Series at two wins apiece and guaranteeing the series will return to Canada.

The Blue Jays had passed the morning of Tuesday dealing with their marathon third game defeat – tied for the lengthiest Fall Classic game ever – a defeat that denied them the opportunity to take the lead in the matchup and burned through both bullpens. Skipper John Schneider insisted later that “the Dodgers won a contest, not the World Series”. A day later, his team offered convincing proof.

Initial Innings

The Los Angeles again scored first. Muncy drew a walk in the second inning, advanced on a base hit and crossed the plate on Kiké Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the early score did not rattle a Toronto team that led Major League Baseball with 49 come-from-behind wins this year.

They answered immediately in the third. Lukes lined a one-out single to center field and Vladimir Guerrero Jr stepped in looking for a breaking ball. Ohtani left a sweeper up and he sent it soaring over the outfield fence. It was his initial extra-base hit of the series and his 7th homer this playoffs – a fresh club record – regaining the Blue Jays's advantage after 13 shutout innings and shifting the momentum of the game.

Shohei's Night

That swing also ended Shohei Ohtani's history-making streak of 11 straight plate appearances reaching base. The dual-threat phenomenon had smashed two homers and reached safely a historic nine times in the Los Angeles' third game comeback win. But on that night, he started on short rest – his shortest ever – after needing an IV to recover from the previous marathon.

His pitch speed was under his seasonal average and he labored more as the contest wore on. Nonetheless, he showed glimpses of his typical control, retiring 11 of 12 after Guerrero Jr's blast and fanning six. He even walked in the first inning to continue his World Series record. But the Blue Jays made him work: six hits and four runs were credited to him in six-plus innings.

Late Game Surge

The bigger issue for Los Angeles was what came next when Ohtani finally ran out of energy.

Daulton Varsho started the seventh with a clean hit to right, and Ernie Clement drilled a double off the wall to put runners on with no outs. Roberts had little choice but to pull Ohtani, who exited to a standing ovation from the local fans. The Dodgers' relief corps could not finish the inning.

Banda inherited the jam and right away trailed in the count. Giménez battled to a 3-2 count before scoring Varsho with a base hit to left field. France came up next with a fielder's choice to make it 4-1, and that was enough to knock Banda out of the contest. Blake Treinen came in next but also failed to stem the momentum: Bo Bichette and Barger hit RBI base hits through the diamond, completing a four-run outburst that extended the margin to 6-1.

Blue Jays's Toughness

The Blue Jays's capacity to absorb early blows and respond has defined their whole postseason. They once again did it without George Springer, the injured leadoff man who exited the third game after tweaking his oblique.

Bieber, meanwhile, was everything Toronto needed. Traded for during the summer while finishing rehab from Tommy John surgery, the ex- Cy Young winner stranded multiple runners and silenced the Dodgers' dangerous lineup. He allowed one run on four base hits and three free passes before Schneider summoned rookie pitcher Mason Fluharty to confront the heart of the lineup in the sixth inning. Fluharty needed just 4 pitches to get out Max Muncy and Edman, preserving a fragile advantage that soon grew safe.

Converted starting pitcher Chris Bassitt then pitched a clean seventh and eighth as the Los Angeles' offense continued to sputter. Los Angeles have scored only three runs over their previous 20 frames, an sudden downturn for a team that ranked among MLB's top lineups all year.

Final Moments

The Los Angeles managed a run in the ninth when Tommy Edman hit into an out to score Hernández after a base on balls and Muncy's double put two on base. But Varland finished the game without permitting a rally to build.

Following a game when the Blue Jays stranded a World Series-record 19 runners and fell apart after repeated of wasted chances, the fourth contest was ruthlessly efficient. Six separate Toronto players collected hits, five brought home scores and the team cashed nearly every scoring chance presented in the final stanzas.

Looking Ahead

The win ensures the World Series trophy will be presented at their home stadium, where the Toronto have not won a title since Carter's famous game-winning home run in 1993. They now know they are assured a full house in Toronto on Friday night – and perhaps Saturday – no matter what happens next in Los Angeles.

The fifth game approaches with the matchup reset and momentum swinging north. Dodgers left-hander Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will attempt to arrest the Blue Jays's momentum. Toronto respond with first-year player Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of Game 1, when the Toronto knocked out Snell early in an 11-4 victory.