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Only 24 hours after staggering through one of the most draining defeats in World Series history, the Toronto Blue Jays played with total command.

Guerrero smashed a two-run home run and Shane Bieber delivered a steady outing as the Blue Jays beat the Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday evening at their home ballpark, tying the World Series at two wins apiece and ensuring the series will return to Canada.

Toronto had spent the early hours of the next day dealing with their 18-inning Game 3 loss – tied for the lengthiest Fall Classic game ever – a defeat that cost them the opportunity to take the lead in the matchup and burned through both relief corps. Manager John Schneider stated afterwards that “they won a contest, not the World Series”. A day later, his squad offered convincing proof.

Initial Action

The Los Angeles again struck first. Muncy walked in the second inning, advanced on a single and crossed the plate on Kiké Hernández's fly out. But the early breakthrough did not rattle a Blue Jays team that topped MLB with 49 come-from-behind wins this season.

They answered right away in the third. Lukes hit a one-out base hit to center field and Guerrero stepped in looking for a breaking ball. Shohei Ohtani threw a slider up and he drove it screaming over the outfield fence. It was his initial long hit of the series and his seventh home run this playoffs – a fresh team record – restoring the Toronto's advantage after 13 shutout innings and changing the momentum of the night.

Ohtani's Night

That swing also ended Shohei Ohtani's record-setting run of 11 straight plate appearances getting on base. The two-way star had hit two home runs and reached safely a historic nine times in the Los Angeles' third game comeback win. But on that night, he took the mound on limited rest – his briefest ever – after needing an IV to recover from the prior marathon.

His pitch speed sat below his regular-season norm and he labored more as the contest progressed. Nonetheless, he showed flashes of his typical control, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero's homer and fanning six. He even walked in the first to continue his Fall Classic record. But the Blue Jays forced him to labor: six base hits and four runs were credited to him in over six innings.

Late Game Surge

The bigger issue for the Dodgers was what came next when Ohtani eventually ran out of energy.

Daulton Varsho opened the seventh with a clean hit to right, and Ernie Clement smashed a double off the wall to put two on with no outs. Roberts had no option but to pull Ohtani, who departed to a standing ovation from the local fans. The Dodgers' bullpen could not finish the inning.

Banda inherited the jam and right away fell behind. Andrés Giménez battled to a full count before scoring the runner with a base hit to left. France came up next with a fielder's choice to make it 4-1, and that was enough to knock the pitcher out of the game. Treinen entered next but also failed to stem the rally: Bichette and Addison Barger hit RBI base hits through the diamond, capping a four-run barrage that pushed the margin to 6-1.

Toronto's Resilience

The Blue Jays's ability to withstand initial blows and respond has characterized their whole postseason. They once again did it without George Springer, the hurt leadoff man who exited Game 3 after straining his right side.

Bieber, meanwhile, was exactly what Toronto needed. Acquired during the summer while finishing rehab from elbow surgery, the ex- Cy Young winner left several runners and quieted the Los Angeles' dangerous batting order. He gave up one earned run on four hits and three walks before the manager called on first-year pitcher Mason Fluharty to face the heart of the order in the sixth. He required just four throws to retire Muncy and Edman, preserving a fragile advantage that quickly became comfortable.

Converted starter Chris Bassitt then worked a scoreless seventh and eighth innings as the Dodgers' offense kept to sputter. The Dodgers have produced only 3 scores over their last 20 frames, an sudden slowdown for a club that ranked among MLB's top lineups all season.

Final Moments

The Los Angeles managed a run in the ninth when Edman hit into an out to bring home Hernández after a walk and Muncy's two-base hit put two on base. But Louis Varland closed it down without allowing a rally to develop.

After a night when Toronto stranded a World Series-record 19 baserunners and collapsed after repeated of wasted opportunities, Game 4 was ruthlessly efficient. 6 different Blue Jays collected hits, 5 drove in runs and the squad cashed almost every run-scoring opportunity presented in the late stanzas.

Looking Ahead

The victory guarantees the World Series trophy will be presented at Rogers Centre, where the Blue Jays have not won a championship since Joe Carter's famous game-winning home run in '93. They now know they are assured a packed house in Canada on Friday night – and perhaps Saturday – no matter what happens next in Los Angeles.

Game 5 approaches with the series even and momentum shifting north. Dodgers left-hander Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to halt the Blue Jays's momentum. Toronto respond with rookie Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of the opener, when the Blue Jays chased Snell quickly in an decisive victory.