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Less than a day following staggering through one of the most draining defeats in Fall Classic history, the Blue Jays played with total command.

Guerrero crushed a two-run homer and Shane Bieber provided 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 games each and ensuring the series will return to Toronto.

The Blue Jays had passed the early hours of Tuesday dealing with their 18-inning Game 3 loss – tied for the lengthiest Fall Classic game ever – a defeat that denied them the chance to lead the matchup and burned through both bullpens. Manager John Schneider stated later that “the Dodgers took a game, not the World Series”. Twenty-three hours later, his team offered emphatic evidence.

Initial Innings

The Dodgers again struck first. Muncy walked in the second inning, advanced on a base hit and scored on Hernández's fly out. But the initial breakthrough did not shake a Blue Jays team that topped MLB with 49 comeback victories this year.

They answered immediately in the third. Nathan Lukes hit 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 first long hit of the World Series and his 7th home run this playoffs – a new club record – restoring the Toronto's lead after 13 scoreless frames and shifting the tone of the game.

Shohei's Performance

That hit also halted Ohtani's history-making run of 11 straight at-bats getting on base. The dual-threat phenomenon had hit two homers and got on base a record nine times in the Los Angeles' Game 3 comeback win. But on that night, he took the mound on short rest – his briefest ever – after needing an IV to recuperate from the previous extra-inning game.

Ohtani pitch speed was below his regular-season average and he labored more as the contest progressed. Nonetheless, he showed flashes of his usual control, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero Jr's homer and striking out six. He even drew a walk in the first inning to continue his Fall Classic streak. But the Blue Jays made him work: six hits and four runs were credited to him in over six frames.

Seventh Inning Rally

The larger problem for the Dodgers was what followed when Ohtani finally ran out of energy.

Daulton Varsho opened the seventh with a clean single to right field, and Clement smashed a two-base hit off the wall to put two on with no outs. Dave Roberts had little choice but to remove Ohtani, who departed to a roaring applause from the home crowd. The Los Angeles' relief corps could not finish the inning.

Banda came into the jam and immediately trailed in the count. Giménez fought to a full count before driving in the runner with a base hit to left field. France followed with a groundout to make it 4-1, and that was enough to remove Banda out of the game. Blake Treinen entered next but also failed to stop the momentum: Bo Bichette and Barger hit RBI base hits through the diamond, capping a four-score barrage that extended the margin to 6-1.

Toronto's Resilience

The Blue Jays's ability to withstand early setbacks and answer has defined their whole run. They once again did it without Springer, the injured top-of-the-order man who exited Game 3 after tweaking his oblique.

Shane Bieber, in contrast, was everything the Blue Jays required. Acquired during the summer while finishing rehab from Tommy John surgery, the ex- award-winning winner stranded several baserunners and quieted the Los Angeles' potent lineup. He gave up one run on four base hits and three walks before Schneider called on rookie pitcher Fluharty to face the core of the order in the sixth. Fluharty needed just four pitches to get out Muncy and Edman, protecting a fragile advantage that quickly grew comfortable.

Former starting pitcher Chris Bassitt then pitched a clean seventh and eighth innings as the Los Angeles' bats continued to struggle. Los Angeles have produced only three runs over their previous 20 innings, an abrupt slowdown for a club that ranked among baseball's elite offenses all season.

Final Innings

The Dodgers managed a run in the ninth when Tommy Edman hit into an out to bring home Hernández after a walk and Muncy's double put two on base. But Louis Varland finished the game without permitting a rally to develop.

Following a game when the Blue Jays left a World Series-record 19 runners and collapsed after wave upon wave of wasted chances, Game 4 was brutally efficient. 6 separate Toronto players collected base hits, five drove in scores and the team cashed nearly every run-scoring chance available in the final stanzas.

Next Up

The victory ensures the World Series title will be presented at Rogers Centre, where the Blue Jays have not won a championship since Joe Carter's iconic game-winning homer in '93. They now are aware they are guaranteed a packed crowd in Canada on Friday night – and possibly the next day – no matter what occurs next in LA.

The fifth game approaches with the matchup even and energy swinging north. Dodgers left-hander Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will attempt to halt the Blue Jays's surge. The Blue Jays respond with first-year player Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of the opener, when the Toronto knocked out the starter quickly in an 11-4 win.