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Only 24 hours following staggering through one of the most exhausting defeats in Fall Classic history, the Toronto Blue Jays played with complete command.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr smashed a two-run homer and Shane Bieber delivered a composed start as Toronto beat the 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 matchup will head back to Toronto.

Toronto had spent the morning of the next day processing their 18-inning Game 3 loss – equal to the longest World Series contest ever – a defeat that denied them the opportunity to take the lead in the matchup and burned through both bullpens. Skipper Schneider stated later that “the Dodgers won a game, not the World Series”. A day later, his team provided emphatic proof.

Initial Action

The Dodgers again struck first. Max Muncy drew a walk in the second, advanced on a single and crossed the plate on Hernández's fly out. But the initial breakthrough did not rattle a Blue Jays club that led Major League Baseball with 49 come-from-behind victories this year.

They responded right away in the third. Nathan Lukes lined a one away single to center field and Vladimir Guerrero Jr came to the plate hunting a curveball. Shohei Ohtani threw a slider up and Guerrero sent it screaming over the outfield fence. It was his initial long hit of the World Series and his 7th homer this playoffs – a fresh team mark – regaining the Toronto's advantage after 13 shutout innings and shifting the momentum of the night.

Ohtani's Performance

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

Ohtani fastball velocity was below his regular-season average and he labored more as the contest progressed. Nonetheless, he displayed flashes of his typical command, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero Jr's blast and fanning six. He even walked in the first inning to extend his Fall Classic streak. But the Toronto made him work: six base hits and four runs were credited to him in over six frames.

Late Game Rally

The larger problem for the Dodgers was what came next when he finally ran out of steam.

Daulton Varsho started the seventh with a sharp single to right, and Clement drilled a two-base hit off the fence to put runners on with no outs. Dave Roberts had no option but to remove the starter, who departed to a standing ovation from the home crowd. The Dodgers' bullpen could not complete the escape.

Banda came into the jam and immediately fell behind. Giménez fought to a 3-2 count before scoring Varsho with a single to left field. France came up next with a groundout to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to knock Banda out of the game. Blake Treinen came in next but also failed to stem the momentum: Bichette and Addison Barger hit RBI singles through the infield, completing a four-score outburst that pushed the margin to 6-1.

Toronto's Resilience

The Toronto's ability to absorb early setbacks and respond has defined their entire postseason. They once again succeeded without George Springer, the hurt leadoff hitter who exited Game 3 after tweaking his right side.

Shane Bieber, meanwhile, was everything the Blue Jays needed. Acquired mid-season while finishing recovery from Tommy John surgery, the former award-winning winner left several baserunners and quieted the Los Angeles' potent lineup. He gave up one run on four base hits and three free passes before Schneider called on first-year left-hander Fluharty to confront the heart of the order in the sixth. He required just four pitches to retire Max Muncy and Edman, preserving a fragile lead that quickly became comfortable.

Converted starter Bassitt then worked a scoreless seventh and eighth as the Dodgers' bats continued to struggle. The Dodgers have scored only 3 runs over their last 20 innings, an abrupt slowdown for a team that was among baseball's top offenses all season.

Closing Moments

The Los Angeles scraped a score in the ninth inning when Tommy Edman grounded out to bring home Hernández after a base on balls and Muncy's two-base hit put runners aboard. But Louis Varland closed it down without permitting a rally to build.

Following a night when the Blue Jays stranded a World Series-record 19 baserunners and collapsed after wave upon wave of wasted opportunities, Game 4 was brutally effective. 6 separate Blue Jays collected hits, 5 drove in scores and the team cashed almost every run-scoring opportunity available in the late innings.

Looking Ahead

The win ensures the World Series title will be presented at Rogers Centre, where the Blue Jays have not won a title since Carter's iconic walk-off home run in 1993. They now know they are assured a packed crowd in Canada on Friday night – and possibly Saturday – no matter what occurs next in LA.

Game 5 looms with the series reset and energy shifting to Toronto. Los Angeles pitcher Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will attempt to arrest the Blue Jays's momentum. Toronto counter with rookie Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of Game 1, when the Toronto chased the starter quickly in an decisive win.