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Less than a day after enduring one of the most draining losses in World Series history, the Blue Jays played with complete control.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr crushed a two-run homer and Bieber delivered a steady start as Toronto beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 in the fourth game on Tuesday night at their home ballpark, tying the World Series at two games each and ensuring the series will return to Canada.

The Blue Jays had spent the morning of the next day processing their 18-inning Game 3 loss – tied for the longest Fall Classic game ever – a defeat that cost them the opportunity to lead the series and burned through both bullpens. Manager Schneider insisted later that “the Dodgers won a game, not the championship”. Twenty-three hours later, his team offered convincing proof.

Early Innings

The Los Angeles again struck first. Max Muncy drew a walk in the second inning, advanced on a base hit and scored on Hernández's fly out. But the early score did not rattle a Toronto team that topped Major League Baseball with 49 comeback victories this season.

They responded right away in the third inning. Nathan Lukes lined a one-out base hit to centre and Guerrero stepped in looking for a breaking ball. Shohei Ohtani left a slider up and Guerrero sent it soaring over the outfield fence. It was his initial long hit of the World Series and his 7th homer this playoffs – a fresh team mark – restoring the Toronto's advantage after 13 scoreless frames and changing the momentum of the night.

Ohtani's Performance

That swing also halted Ohtani's record-setting run of 11 straight at-bats reaching base. The two-way phenomenon had smashed two home runs and got on base a historic nine times in the Dodgers' third game comeback win. But on that night, he started on limited rest – his briefest ever – after needing an IV to recover from the previous extra-inning game.

His pitch speed was under his regular-season norm and he labored more as the contest wore on. Even so, he showed flashes of his usual command, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero Jr's blast and fanning six. He even drew a walk in the first to extend his World Series record. But the Blue Jays forced him to labor: 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 followed when Ohtani finally lost steam.

Daulton Varsho opened the seventh with a sharp hit to right, and Clement drilled a double off the wall to put runners on with no outs. Roberts had little choice but to remove Ohtani, who departed to a roaring applause from the home crowd. The Dodgers' bullpen could not complete the inning.

Banda inherited the mess and right away trailed in the count. Giménez battled to a 3-2 count before scoring the runner with a base hit to left field. France followed with a fielder's choice to make it 4-1, and that was enough to remove the pitcher out of the game. Treinen entered next but also was unable to stop the momentum: Bichette and Barger hit RBI singles through the diamond, capping a four-run outburst that extended the lead to 6-1.

Blue Jays's Toughness

The Toronto's ability to withstand early setbacks and respond has defined their entire run. They once again succeeded without George Springer, the hurt leadoff man who left Game 3 after tweaking his oblique.

Bieber, meanwhile, was exactly what the Blue Jays needed. Traded for during the summer while completing recovery from elbow surgery, the ex- award-winning winner stranded multiple baserunners and quieted the Dodgers' potent lineup. He allowed one earned run on four hits and three walks before Schneider called on rookie left-hander Mason Fluharty to confront the heart of the order in the sixth. Fluharty required just four pitches to get out Max Muncy and Edman, protecting a fragile advantage that quickly became safe.

Former starting pitcher Bassitt then worked a scoreless seventh and eighth as the Dodgers' offense kept to sputter. The Dodgers have scored only three runs over their last 20 frames, an abrupt downturn for a club that was among baseball's elite lineups all season.

Final Moments

The Los Angeles managed a score in the ninth inning when Edman grounded out to score Teoscar Hernández after a walk and Muncy's double put runners aboard. But Varland closed it down without allowing a comeback to develop.

Following a night when Toronto stranded a World Series-record 19 runners and collapsed after wave upon wave of missed opportunities, Game 4 was brutally effective. Six separate Blue Jays collected hits, 5 brought home runs and the team converted almost every run-scoring opportunity presented in the final stanzas.

Looking Ahead

The win ensures the World Series title will be awarded at their home stadium, where the Blue Jays have not won a title since Joe Carter's famous game-winning homer in '93. They now are aware they are guaranteed a full crowd in Toronto on Friday evening – and perhaps Saturday – no matter what occurs next in LA.

The fifth game approaches with the series even and momentum swinging north. Los Angeles left-hander Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to arrest the Blue Jays's surge. The Blue Jays counter with first-year player Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of the opener, when the Toronto knocked out Snell quickly in an 11-4 victory.