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Only 24 hours following staggering through one of the most exhausting losses in World Series annals, the Toronto Blue Jays displayed complete command.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr smashed a two-run home run and Bieber provided a composed outing as Toronto beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 in the fourth game on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium, tying the Fall Classic at two wins apiece and ensuring the series will return to Toronto.

Toronto had spent the early hours of Tuesday dealing with their 18-inning third game defeat – equal to the lengthiest World Series contest ever – a defeat that cost them the chance to lead the matchup and burned through both bullpens. Manager Schneider stated afterwards that “they won a contest, not the championship”. A day later, his squad offered emphatic evidence.

Early Action

The Los Angeles again scored first. Muncy drew a walk in the second, moved up on a single and scored on Kiké Hernández's fly out. But the early breakthrough did not rattle a Toronto team that topped MLB with 49 comeback wins this year.

They responded right away in the third. Nathan Lukes lined a one away base hit to centre and Guerrero came to the plate looking for a breaking ball. Shohei Ohtani left a slider up and he drove it screaming over the outfield fence. It was his initial extra-base hit of the World Series and his seventh home run this postseason – a fresh team mark – restoring the Toronto's lead after 13 scoreless innings and shifting the tone of the night.

Ohtani's Performance

That swing also halted Ohtani's record-setting run of 11 straight at-bats getting on base. The dual-threat star had hit two home runs and got on base a historic nine times in the Los Angeles' third game comeback win. But on that night, he started on limited rest – his briefest ever – after needing an IV to recuperate from the prior extra-inning game.

His pitch speed sat under his seasonal norm and he labored more as the contest progressed. Nonetheless, he displayed flashes of his usual command, retiring 11 of 12 after Guerrero's blast and fanning six. He even drew a walk in the first to continue his Fall Classic streak. But the Toronto made him work: six hits and four runs were credited to him in six-plus frames.

Late Game Rally

The bigger issue for the Dodgers was what came next when he finally ran out of energy.

Daulton Varsho opened the seventh with a sharp single to right field, and Ernie Clement drilled a double off the fence to put runners on with none out. Roberts had no option but to pull the starter, who departed to a standing ovation from the home crowd. The Dodgers' relief corps could not finish the escape.

Banda came into the jam and right away trailed in the count. Giménez battled to a full count before scoring the runner with a single to left. France followed with a groundout to make it 4-1, and that was enough to knock Banda out of the game. Blake Treinen entered next but also failed to stem the momentum: Bichette and Addison Barger hit RBI singles through the infield, capping a four-run barrage that extended the margin to 6-1.

Toronto's Resilience

The Blue Jays's ability to withstand early setbacks and respond has characterized their entire run. They once again succeeded without Springer, the injured top-of-the-order hitter who left the third game after tweaking his oblique.

Bieber, meanwhile, was everything the Blue Jays needed. Acquired during the summer while finishing rehab from elbow surgery, the ex- Cy Young winner stranded multiple baserunners and quieted the Los Angeles' potent lineup. He allowed one run on four base hits and three walks before the manager called on first-year pitcher Mason Fluharty to face the core of the order in the sixth inning. He needed just 4 throws to get out Muncy and Tommy Edman, protecting a narrow lead that soon became comfortable.

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 frames, an abrupt slowdown for a club that ranked among MLB's top offenses all season.

Final Moments

The Dodgers managed a run in the ninth inning when Tommy Edman hit into an out to bring home Hernández after a base on balls and Muncy's two-base hit put two on base. But Varland finished the game without permitting a comeback to develop.

Following a game when Toronto left a Fall Classic-record 19 runners and collapsed after repeated of wasted opportunities, Game 4 was ruthlessly effective. Six separate Toronto players recorded hits, five drove in scores 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 awarded at Rogers Centre, where the Toronto have not celebrated a championship since Carter's famous walk-off home run in '93. They now are aware they are guaranteed a full house in Toronto on Friday evening – and perhaps Saturday – no matter what happens next in LA.

The fifth game looms with the series reset and momentum swinging to Toronto. Dodgers pitcher Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will attempt to halt the Toronto's momentum. The Blue Jays counter with rookie Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of the opener, when the Toronto chased the starter quickly in an 11-4 win.