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Only 24 hours following staggering through one of the most draining defeats in World Series annals, the Blue Jays displayed total control.

Guerrero crushed a two-run home run and Bieber delivered a composed start as Toronto beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 in the fourth game on Tuesday evening at Dodger Stadium, squaring the World Series at two wins apiece and guaranteeing the series will return to Canada.

The Blue Jays had passed the morning of Tuesday processing their marathon third game defeat – equal to the longest World Series contest ever – a defeat that cost them the chance to take the lead in the series and depleted both bullpens. Skipper Schneider stated afterwards that “the Dodgers took a game, not the championship”. A day later, his team offered emphatic proof.

Initial Innings

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

They answered right away in the third inning. Lukes lined a one away single to centre and Vladimir Guerrero Jr stepped in looking for a curveball. Shohei Ohtani left a sweeper up and Guerrero sent it screaming over the outfield fence. It was his initial extra-base hit of the World Series and his 7th home run this postseason – a fresh team record – regaining the Toronto's advantage after 13 shutout frames and shifting the tone of the game.

Ohtani's Night

That swing also halted Shohei Ohtani's history-making run of 11 consecutive plate appearances getting on base. The two-way phenomenon had smashed two home runs 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 requiring an IV to recuperate from the previous marathon.

His pitch speed was under his regular-season average and he labored more as the contest wore on. Nonetheless, he displayed glimpses of his usual command, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero Jr's blast and striking out six. He even walked in the first inning to continue his World Series record. But the Blue Jays forced him to labor: six base hits and four runs were credited to him in over six frames.

Late Game Surge

The larger problem for Los Angeles was what came next when Ohtani finally ran out of energy.

Daulton Varsho started the seventh with a sharp single to right, and Ernie Clement smashed a double off the wall to put two on with no outs. Dave Roberts had no option but to remove the starter, who exited to a roaring applause from the home crowd. The Dodgers' relief corps could not complete the escape.

Anthony Banda came into the mess and right away fell behind. Andrés Giménez fought to a 3-2 count before scoring the runner with a base hit to left. France followed with a groundout to make it 4-1, and that was enough to remove Banda out of the contest. Blake Treinen came in next but also was unable to stem the momentum: Bo Bichette and Barger punched run-scoring singles through the diamond, capping a four-run outburst that extended the lead to 6-1.

Blue Jays's Resilience

The Toronto's ability to withstand early blows and respond has characterized their whole postseason. They once again did it without Springer, the injured leadoff hitter who exited Game 3 after tweaking his oblique.

Shane Bieber, in contrast, was everything the Blue Jays required. Traded for mid-season while finishing recovery from elbow surgery, the ex- Cy Young winner stranded several runners and silenced the Dodgers' potent lineup. He gave up one run on four hits and three free passes before the manager called on rookie left-hander Mason Fluharty to face the heart of the lineup in the sixth inning. He required just four throws to get out Max Muncy and Edman, protecting a fragile lead that quickly grew comfortable.

Converted starting pitcher Bassitt then pitched a clean seventh and eighth as the Los Angeles' bats kept to struggle. Los Angeles have produced only three runs over their last 20 innings, an sudden slowdown for a team that ranked among MLB's elite lineups all year.

Closing Innings

The Dodgers scraped a score in the ninth inning when Tommy Edman grounded out to score Teoscar Hernández after a base on balls and Muncy's two-base hit put runners on base. But Louis Varland closed it down without allowing a comeback to develop.

Following a night when Toronto left a World Series-record 19 baserunners and collapsed after repeated of wasted chances, Game 4 was brutally efficient. Six different Toronto players recorded base hits, 5 brought home scores and the squad cashed almost every run-scoring chance available in the final stanzas.

Looking Ahead

The win ensures the World Series trophy will be awarded at Rogers Centre, where the Blue Jays have not celebrated a title since Carter's famous walk-off homer in '93. They now are aware they are assured a full crowd in Toronto on Friday evening – and perhaps Saturday – no matter what happens next in LA.

The fifth game looms with the series reset and energy shifting north. Los Angeles pitcher Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to halt the Toronto's surge. Toronto respond with first-year player Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of Game 1, when the Blue Jays knocked out Snell quickly in an 11-4 victory.