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Less than a day after staggering through one of the most draining defeats in World Series history, the Blue Jays displayed complete control.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr smashed a two-run home run and Bieber delivered a composed start as Toronto defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 in the fourth game on Tuesday night at their home ballpark, squaring the Fall Classic at two wins apiece and ensuring the matchup will head back to Canada.

Toronto had passed the morning of Tuesday processing their 18-inning third game defeat – equal to the lengthiest Fall Classic game ever – a defeat that cost them the chance to take the lead in the series and depleted both bullpens. Skipper Schneider insisted later that “they took a contest, not the World Series”. Twenty-three hours later, his team offered convincing evidence.

Initial Innings

The Dodgers again struck first. Muncy walked in the second, advanced on a base hit and scored on Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the early breakthrough did not shake a Toronto club that led MLB with 49 come-from-behind wins this season.

They responded immediately in the third. Nathan Lukes hit a one-out single to centre and Guerrero came to the plate hunting a breaking ball. Ohtani left a slider up and he sent it soaring over the left-center wall. It was his initial extra-base hit of the World Series and his seventh home run this postseason – a new club record – restoring the Toronto's lead after 13 shutout innings and shifting the momentum of the night.

Shohei's Night

That swing also ended Ohtani's history-making streak of 11 consecutive at-bats reaching base. The dual-threat phenomenon had smashed two homers and got on base a historic nine times in the Dodgers' third game comeback win. But on Tuesday, he took the mound on short rest – his briefest ever – after requiring an IV to recover from the previous marathon.

Ohtani fastball velocity was under his regular-season average and he labored more as the game progressed. Even so, he displayed glimpses of his usual command, retiring 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 Blue Jays made him work: six hits and four earned runs were charged to him in six-plus frames.

Late Game Rally

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

Daulton Varsho opened the seventh inning with a sharp single to right, and Clement smashed a two-base hit off the fence to put runners on with no outs. Roberts had no option but to remove Ohtani, who exited to a standing ovation from the home crowd. The Dodgers' relief corps could not complete the escape.

Anthony Banda came into the mess and right away trailed in the count. Giménez battled to a 3-2 count before scoring Varsho with a base hit to left. France came up next with a fielder's choice to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to remove Banda out of the game. Blake Treinen came in next but also was unable to stem the rally: Bo Bichette and Addison Barger hit RBI base hits through the diamond, capping a four-run barrage that pushed the lead to 6-1.

Blue Jays's Resilience

The Toronto's ability to withstand initial setbacks and respond has characterized their whole run. They once again did it without George Springer, the hurt leadoff hitter who left the third game after straining his right side.

Shane Bieber, meanwhile, was everything the Blue Jays needed. Acquired during the summer while completing recovery from Tommy John surgery, the former Cy Young winner left several runners and quieted the Dodgers' dangerous lineup. He allowed one earned run on four base hits and three free passes before Schneider called on rookie pitcher Fluharty to face the core of the order in the sixth inning. He needed just four pitches to get out Max Muncy and Edman, preserving a narrow lead that soon grew comfortable.

Converted starter Chris Bassitt then worked a clean seventh and eighth innings as the Los Angeles' offense kept to struggle. Los Angeles have produced only three runs over their last 20 innings, an sudden slowdown for a club that ranked among MLB's elite offenses all year.

Final Innings

The Los Angeles scraped a score in the ninth when Edman hit into an out to score Hernández after a walk and Max Muncy's two-base hit put runners on base. But Varland closed it down without allowing a comeback to build.

Following a night when Toronto left a World Series-record 19 baserunners and collapsed after repeated of missed opportunities, the fourth contest was ruthlessly effective. 6 separate Toronto players recorded base hits, 5 brought home scores and the squad cashed nearly every scoring chance available in the late stanzas.

Looking Ahead

The win guarantees the World Series title will be presented at their home stadium, where the Toronto have not won a championship since Joe Carter's famous walk-off home run in 1993. They now are aware they are assured a packed crowd in Toronto on Friday evening – and possibly the next day – no matter what occurs next in Los Angeles.

The fifth game approaches with the matchup even and energy swinging north. Los Angeles pitcher Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to halt the Blue Jays's surge. The Blue Jays respond with first-year player Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of the opener, when the Toronto knocked out Snell early in an 11-4 win.