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Only 24 hours after enduring one of the most draining defeats in World Series history, the Blue Jays displayed total control.

Guerrero crushed a two-run homer and Shane Bieber delivered a steady outing as Toronto defeated the Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday evening at Dodger Stadium, tying the World Series at two wins apiece and guaranteeing the series will head back to Toronto.

The Blue Jays had spent the early hours of the next day dealing with their 18-inning Game 3 loss – tied for the lengthiest World Series game ever – a defeat that cost them the opportunity to take the lead in the series and burned through both bullpens. Manager Schneider insisted later that “they took a contest, not the World Series”. A day later, his squad offered emphatic proof.

Initial Innings

The Los Angeles again struck first. Muncy walked in the second, advanced on a single and crossed the plate on Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the early score did not rattle a Toronto club that led Major League Baseball with 49 come-from-behind victories this season.

They responded right away in the third. Lukes hit a one-out base hit to center field and Guerrero stepped in hunting a breaking ball. Ohtani left a slider up and he sent it soaring over the left-center wall. It was his initial long hit of the World Series and his 7th home run this postseason – a fresh team mark – regaining the Blue Jays's advantage after 13 shutout innings and changing the tone of the game.

Ohtani's Night

That swing also halted Shohei Ohtani's history-making streak of 11 consecutive plate appearances reaching base. The two-way star had hit two home runs and got on base a historic nine times in the Los Angeles' third game walk-off. But on Tuesday, he took the mound on limited rest – his briefest ever – after needing an IV to recuperate from the prior extra-inning game.

His pitch speed was below his regular-season average and he labored more as the contest progressed. Even so, he showed glimpses of his usual control, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero's blast and striking out six. He even walked in the first to continue his World Series record. But the Toronto forced him to labor: six hits and four earned runs were credited to him in over six frames.

Seventh Inning Surge

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

Varsho started the seventh with a clean single to right field, and Clement smashed a two-base hit off the wall to put two on with none out. Dave Roberts had little choice but to remove Ohtani, who departed to a roaring applause from the local fans. The Dodgers' bullpen could not complete the inning.

Banda inherited the jam and right away trailed in the count. Giménez battled to a full count before scoring the runner with a base hit to left. France followed with a groundout to make it 4-1, and that was enough to knock the pitcher out of the contest. Treinen entered next but also failed to stem the momentum: Bo Bichette and Barger punched RBI singles through the infield, capping a four-run barrage that pushed the lead to 6-1.

Blue Jays's Toughness

The Toronto's capacity to withstand initial setbacks and answer has characterized their whole postseason. They once again did it without George Springer, the injured leadoff hitter who exited Game 3 after straining his oblique.

Bieber, meanwhile, was everything Toronto required. Acquired during the summer while completing rehab from Tommy John surgery, the former award-winning winner stranded multiple baserunners and silenced the Los Angeles' dangerous batting order. He allowed one run on four base hits and three walks before the manager called on first-year pitcher Fluharty to face the core of the lineup in the sixth. He required just 4 throws to retire Muncy and Edman, protecting a fragile lead that quickly became comfortable.

Former starter Chris Bassitt then pitched a scoreless seventh and eighth as the Dodgers' offense continued to sputter. Los Angeles have scored only 3 runs over their last 20 frames, an sudden downturn for a club that was among MLB's elite offenses all season.

Closing Moments

The Dodgers managed a score in the ninth inning when Edman hit into an out to score Hernández after a walk and Muncy's two-base hit put two aboard. But Varland closed it down without permitting a rally to build.

Following a game when Toronto left a World Series-record 19 runners and fell apart after repeated of wasted opportunities, the fourth contest was ruthlessly efficient. Six separate Toronto players recorded base hits, 5 drove in scores and the team cashed nearly every run-scoring chance available in the final stanzas.

Looking Ahead

The win guarantees the World Series title will be presented at Rogers Centre, where the Blue Jays have not celebrated a championship since Carter's famous walk-off homer in 1993. They now know they are assured a full house in Toronto on Friday evening – and possibly the next day – no matter what occurs next in LA.

Game 5 looms with the matchup even and momentum shifting north. Dodgers left-hander Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will attempt to halt the Toronto's momentum. The Blue Jays respond with rookie Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of Game 1, when the Toronto knocked out Snell early in an 11-4 victory.