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

Vladimir Guerrero Jr crushed a two-run homer and Bieber delivered a composed outing as the Blue Jays defeated the Dodgers 6-2 in the fourth game on Tuesday evening at Dodger Stadium, tying the World Series at two wins apiece and ensuring the series will return to Toronto.

Toronto had spent the morning of the next day processing their marathon third game defeat – equal to the lengthiest Fall Classic game ever – a loss that cost them the chance to take the lead in the matchup and depleted both bullpens. Manager John Schneider insisted later that “they took a game, not the championship”. A day later, his team provided emphatic proof.

Early Action

The Los Angeles again scored first. Max Muncy walked in the second inning, advanced on a single and scored on Kiké Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the early score did not shake a Toronto club that topped MLB with 49 comeback victories this year.

They answered immediately in the third. Nathan Lukes hit a one away base hit to center field and Vladimir Guerrero Jr came to the plate looking for a curveball. Shohei Ohtani threw a sweeper up and Guerrero drove it soaring over the left-center wall. It was his first long hit of the series and his seventh homer this postseason – a new club record – regaining the Toronto's advantage after 13 shutout frames and shifting the momentum of the game.

Ohtani's Performance

That swing also halted Shohei Ohtani's record-setting streak of 11 straight at-bats getting on base. The dual-threat phenomenon had smashed two home runs and reached safely a historic nine times in the Los Angeles' third game comeback win. But on Tuesday, he took the mound on short rest – his briefest ever – after needing an IV to recuperate from the prior marathon.

Ohtani pitch speed was below his seasonal norm and he struggled more as the contest wore on. Nonetheless, he showed glimpses of his usual command, retiring 11 of 12 after Guerrero Jr's homer and striking out six. He even walked in the first to extend his Fall Classic record. But the Blue Jays made him work: six hits and four runs were charged to him in over six frames.

Late Game Rally

The bigger problem for Los Angeles was what followed when he finally ran out of energy.

Daulton Varsho opened the seventh with a clean hit to right field, and Ernie Clement drilled a double off the wall to put two on with none out. Dave Roberts had no option but to remove Ohtani, who exited to a roaring applause from the home crowd. The Dodgers' relief corps could not complete the inning.

Banda inherited the jam and immediately fell behind. Andrés Giménez battled to a 3-2 count before driving in Varsho with a single to left field. Ty France followed with a groundout to make it 4-1, and that was enough to knock Banda out of the game. Treinen entered next but also failed to stop the momentum: Bichette and Barger punched run-scoring singles through the infield, capping a four-score barrage that pushed the lead to 6-1.

Toronto's Resilience

The Toronto's capacity to withstand initial blows and respond has characterized their entire run. They once again succeeded without Springer, the hurt leadoff man who exited the third game after tweaking his right side.

Shane Bieber, in contrast, was everything the Blue Jays needed. Acquired during the summer while completing rehab from Tommy John surgery, the ex- Cy Young winner stranded multiple runners and silenced the Los Angeles' potent lineup. He allowed one run on four base hits and three walks before the manager called on first-year pitcher Fluharty to confront the heart of the order in the sixth inning. Fluharty needed just 4 throws to get out Max Muncy and Edman, protecting a fragile advantage that soon became safe.

Former starting pitcher Bassitt then pitched a clean seventh and eighth innings as the Los Angeles' offense kept to sputter. The Dodgers have scored only three scores over their previous 20 innings, an abrupt downturn for a club that ranked among MLB's elite lineups all season.

Final Innings

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

Following a night when Toronto stranded a World Series-record 19 baserunners and collapsed after wave upon wave of missed opportunities, the fourth contest was brutally efficient. 6 separate Blue Jays recorded hits, 5 brought home scores and the team converted nearly every scoring opportunity presented in the final innings.

Next Up

The win guarantees the championship trophy will be presented at their home stadium, where the Blue Jays have not won a championship since Joe Carter's famous walk-off home run in '93. They now know they are guaranteed a full house in Toronto on Friday evening – and perhaps the next day – no matter what occurs next in LA.

The fifth game approaches with the matchup even and momentum shifting north. Los Angeles pitcher Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to halt the Blue Jays's momentum. 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 the starter quickly in an 11-4 win.