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Less than a day after staggering through one of the most draining defeats in Fall Classic history, the Toronto Blue Jays displayed complete command.

Guerrero smashed a two-run home run and Bieber provided a steady start as Toronto defeated the Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday night at their home ballpark, tying the World Series at two games each and guaranteeing the matchup will return to Toronto.

The Blue Jays had spent the early hours of the next day processing their marathon Game 3 loss – equal to the lengthiest Fall Classic game ever – a defeat that denied them the opportunity to lead the matchup and depleted both bullpens. Manager John Schneider insisted afterwards that “the Dodgers won a game, not the championship”. A day later, his team provided convincing evidence.

Early Action

The Los Angeles again struck first. Max Muncy walked in the second, advanced on a single and scored on Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the initial score did not shake a Toronto club that topped Major League Baseball with 49 comeback victories this season.

They responded immediately in the third. Nathan Lukes lined a one away single to centre and Guerrero came to the plate looking for a curveball. Shohei Ohtani threw a sweeper up and Guerrero sent it soaring over the outfield fence. It was his first long hit of the series and his seventh home run this playoffs – a new team mark – restoring the Toronto's advantage after 13 scoreless frames and shifting the tone of the game.

Ohtani's Night

That swing also halted Shohei Ohtani's record-setting run of 11 consecutive plate appearances getting on base. The dual-threat phenomenon had hit two homers and got on base a record 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 prior marathon.

Ohtani pitch speed was below his regular-season norm and he labored more as the game wore on. Even so, he showed glimpses of his typical control, retiring 11 of 12 after Guerrero Jr's blast and striking out six. He even walked in the first to extend his World Series streak. But the Toronto made him work: six hits and four earned runs were credited to him in six-plus frames.

Late Game Rally

The bigger problem for the Dodgers was what followed when Ohtani finally lost steam.

Daulton Varsho opened the seventh inning with a clean single to right, and Clement drilled a two-base hit off the fence to put two on with none out. Roberts had no option but to pull the starter, who exited to a standing ovation from the home crowd. The Dodgers' bullpen could not complete the escape.

Anthony Banda inherited the jam and immediately trailed in the count. Giménez fought to a 3-2 count before scoring Varsho with a single to left field. Ty France followed with a fielder's choice to make it 4-1, and that was enough to knock the pitcher out of the game. Blake Treinen entered next but also failed to stop the momentum: Bichette and Addison Barger hit RBI singles through the diamond, capping a four-score outburst that pushed the margin to 6-1.

Toronto's Resilience

The Blue Jays's capacity to absorb initial setbacks and respond has characterized their whole postseason. They once again succeeded without Springer, the injured leadoff hitter who exited Game 3 after tweaking his right side.

Bieber, in contrast, was exactly what Toronto needed. Acquired during the summer while finishing recovery from elbow surgery, the former Cy Young winner left multiple baserunners and silenced the Los Angeles' potent lineup. He gave up one earned run on four hits and three walks before Schneider called on first-year left-hander Mason Fluharty to confront the heart of the lineup in the sixth. Fluharty required just four throws to get out Muncy and Edman, preserving a narrow advantage that quickly became safe.

Converted starting pitcher Chris Bassitt then worked a scoreless seventh and eighth innings as the Dodgers' offense continued to struggle. The Dodgers have produced only 3 scores over their last 20 innings, an sudden downturn for a team that ranked among MLB's elite lineups all year.

Closing Moments

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

After a night when Toronto stranded a Fall Classic-record 19 runners and collapsed after repeated of wasted chances, Game 4 was brutally effective. Six different Blue Jays collected hits, five brought home runs and the team cashed nearly every scoring opportunity presented in the late innings.

Next Up

The win ensures the championship trophy will be awarded at their home stadium, where the Blue Jays have not won a title since Carter's iconic game-winning home run in 1993. They now are aware they are guaranteed a packed house in Toronto on Friday night – and perhaps the next day – no matter what happens next in Los Angeles.

Game 5 looms with the series reset and energy shifting to Toronto. Los Angeles left-hander Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to arrest the Blue Jays's momentum. Toronto counter with first-year player Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of the opener, when the Toronto knocked out Snell early in an 11-4 win.