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Less than a day following staggering through one of the most draining losses in Fall Classic history, the Toronto Blue Jays displayed total control.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr smashed a two-run homer and Shane Bieber delivered a composed outing as Toronto defeated the Dodgers 6-2 in the fourth game on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium, squaring the Fall Classic at two games each and guaranteeing the series will head back to Toronto.

Toronto had spent the morning of the next day dealing with their 18-inning Game 3 loss – tied for the lengthiest Fall Classic contest ever – a loss that denied them the opportunity to take the lead in the series and depleted both bullpens. Skipper John Schneider insisted afterwards that “the Dodgers won a game, not the World Series”. A day later, his squad offered convincing proof.

Early Innings

The Dodgers again struck first. Muncy walked in the second inning, advanced on a base hit and scored on Kiké Hernández's fly out. But the initial score did not shake a Blue Jays club that topped Major League Baseball with 49 come-from-behind victories this year.

They answered immediately in the third inning. Nathan Lukes lined a one away base hit to centre and Vladimir Guerrero Jr came to the plate looking for a curveball. Ohtani left a sweeper up and he drove it screaming over the outfield fence. It was his initial long hit of the series and his 7th home run this postseason – a fresh team record – restoring the Toronto's lead after 13 shutout frames and shifting the tone of the night.

Shohei's Performance

That swing also ended Ohtani's record-setting run of 11 consecutive plate appearances reaching base. The two-way star had hit two homers and got on base a historic nine times in the Dodgers' Game 3 comeback win. But on that night, he took the mound on limited rest – his briefest ever – after needing an IV to recover from the prior marathon.

His fastball velocity was below his seasonal norm and he labored more as the contest wore on. Even so, he displayed flashes of his usual control, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero's homer and striking out six. He even walked in the first inning to extend his Fall Classic streak. But the Blue Jays forced him to labor: six hits and four earned runs were credited to him in over six innings.

Late Game Surge

The larger problem for the Dodgers was what followed when he eventually ran out of steam.

Varsho started the seventh inning with a clean single to right, and Clement smashed a two-base hit off the fence to put two on with no outs. Roberts had little choice but to remove Ohtani, who departed to a standing ovation from the home crowd. The Dodgers' bullpen could not finish the escape.

Banda inherited the jam and immediately fell behind. Giménez battled to a full count before driving in the runner with a base hit to left. Ty France followed with a groundout to make it 4-1, and that was enough to remove Banda out of the game. Treinen entered next but also was unable to stop the rally: Bo Bichette and Barger hit run-scoring base hits through the diamond, completing a four-score barrage that pushed the margin to 6-1.

Toronto's Toughness

The Toronto's ability to absorb early setbacks and answer has characterized their entire run. They once again succeeded without Springer, the hurt top-of-the-order hitter who left the third game after tweaking his oblique.

Shane Bieber, meanwhile, was exactly what the Blue Jays required. Traded for during the summer while completing rehab from Tommy John surgery, the former Cy Young winner stranded several baserunners and quieted the Los Angeles' dangerous lineup. He gave up one earned run on four hits and three walks before the manager summoned rookie left-hander Fluharty to confront the core of the order in the sixth. He needed just 4 throws to get out Max Muncy and Edman, protecting a narrow advantage that quickly became safe.

Converted starting pitcher Bassitt then pitched a scoreless seventh and eighth as the Dodgers' offense kept to sputter. Los Angeles have produced only three scores over their last 20 frames, an sudden downturn for a team that ranked among MLB's top lineups all year.

Final Innings

The Los Angeles managed a run in the ninth when Edman grounded out to bring home Teoscar Hernández after a walk and Muncy's two-base hit put runners on base. But Louis Varland finished the game without permitting a rally to build.

After a night when Toronto stranded a Fall Classic-record 19 baserunners and fell apart after wave upon wave of wasted opportunities, the fourth contest was brutally efficient. Six different Blue Jays recorded hits, 5 drove in runs and the team cashed almost every run-scoring opportunity presented in the late stanzas.

Looking Ahead

The win guarantees the World Series title will be awarded at Rogers Centre, where the Toronto have not celebrated a title since Carter's famous game-winning homer in '93. They now know they are assured a packed crowd in Toronto on Friday evening – and possibly Saturday – no matter what occurs next in LA.

The fifth game approaches with the matchup reset and energy shifting to Toronto. Los Angeles pitcher Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to halt the Blue Jays's momentum. Toronto counter with first-year player Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of the opener, when the Blue Jays chased the starter quickly in an 11-4 victory.