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Only 24 hours following enduring one of the most draining defeats in World Series history, the Toronto Blue Jays displayed complete command.

Guerrero crushed a two-run homer and Bieber provided a composed start as Toronto beat the Dodgers 6-2 in the fourth game on Tuesday night at their home ballpark, squaring the World Series at two wins apiece and guaranteeing the series will return to Toronto.

The Blue Jays had passed the early hours of the next day dealing with their marathon third game defeat – tied for the lengthiest Fall Classic contest ever – a loss that cost them the opportunity to lead the matchup and depleted both relief corps. Manager John Schneider insisted later that “the Dodgers won a game, not the World Series”. A day later, his team provided convincing evidence.

Early Action

The Los Angeles again scored first. Muncy walked in the second inning, moved up on a base hit and crossed the plate on Kiké Hernández's fly out. But the initial score did not rattle a Toronto team that led Major League Baseball with 49 come-from-behind victories this year.

They responded right away in the third. Nathan Lukes hit a one away single to centre and Guerrero stepped in hunting a breaking ball. Ohtani threw a sweeper up and Guerrero sent it screaming over the left-center wall. It was his initial extra-base hit of the series and his 7th homer this postseason – a fresh club mark – regaining the Toronto's advantage after 13 scoreless innings and changing the momentum of the game.

Ohtani's Performance

That hit also ended Shohei Ohtani's history-making run of 11 straight at-bats getting on base. The two-way phenomenon had smashed two homers and got on base a historic nine times in the Dodgers' third game comeback win. But on Tuesday, he started on limited rest – his briefest ever – after needing an IV to recuperate from the prior extra-inning game.

His pitch speed was below his regular-season norm and he labored more as the game progressed. Even so, he showed flashes of his typical control, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero Jr's homer and fanning six. He even drew a walk in the first to continue his World Series record. But the Toronto forced him to labor: six base hits and four earned runs were charged to him in six-plus frames.

Seventh Inning Rally

The larger problem for Los Angeles was what followed when Ohtani eventually lost energy.

Varsho started the seventh with a clean single to right field, and Clement drilled a double off the wall to put runners on with none out. Dave Roberts had little choice but to pull the starter, who departed to a roaring applause from the local fans. The Dodgers' bullpen could not complete the escape.

Banda inherited the mess and right away trailed in the count. Giménez fought to a 3-2 count before scoring Varsho with a base hit to left field. Ty France came up next with a groundout to make it 4-1, and that was enough to remove the pitcher out of the contest. Treinen entered next but also was unable to stem the momentum: Bo Bichette and Addison Barger punched run-scoring singles through the infield, capping a four-run barrage that pushed the lead to 6-1.

Blue Jays's Toughness

The Toronto's capacity to withstand early setbacks and respond has characterized their entire postseason. They once again did it without Springer, the injured top-of-the-order hitter who left Game 3 after tweaking his right side.

Bieber, meanwhile, was exactly what Toronto required. Acquired during the summer while completing rehab from Tommy John surgery, the former Cy Young winner stranded several runners and quieted the Dodgers' potent batting order. He gave up one run on four hits and three walks before Schneider called on rookie pitcher Mason Fluharty to face the heart of the order in the sixth. Fluharty required just 4 pitches to retire Muncy and Edman, preserving a narrow lead that soon grew comfortable.

Former starter Chris Bassitt then worked a scoreless seventh and eighth innings as the Dodgers' bats kept to struggle. Los Angeles have scored only 3 runs over their last 20 innings, an abrupt downturn for a team that was among baseball's top lineups all year.

Final Moments

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

After a game when the Blue Jays stranded a Fall Classic-record 19 runners and fell apart after wave upon wave of missed chances, Game 4 was brutally effective. Six different Toronto players collected base hits, five brought home scores and the team cashed almost every run-scoring opportunity presented in the late stanzas.

Next Up

The win guarantees the championship trophy will be awarded at Rogers Centre, where the Toronto have not won a title since Carter's iconic game-winning homer in 1993. They now are aware they are assured a packed crowd in Toronto on Friday evening – and perhaps the next day – no matter what happens next in Los Angeles.

Game 5 looms with the matchup reset and momentum swinging to Toronto. Los Angeles pitcher Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will attempt to halt the Blue Jays's momentum. Toronto counter with rookie Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of Game 1, when the Blue Jays chased Snell early in an 11-4 victory.