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Less than a day following enduring one of the most exhausting defeats in Fall Classic annals, the Toronto Blue Jays played with complete command.

Guerrero smashed a two-run home run and Bieber delivered a steady start as Toronto beat the Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday evening at Dodger Stadium, tying the World Series at two games each and ensuring the matchup will head back to Canada.

The Blue Jays had spent the morning of Tuesday processing their marathon third game defeat – equal to the longest World Series game ever – a loss that cost them the chance to take the lead in the series and depleted both bullpens. Manager Schneider stated later that “the Dodgers took a contest, not the World Series”. Twenty-three hours later, his team provided convincing proof.

Early Innings

The Los Angeles again struck first. Muncy drew a walk in the second inning, advanced on a single and crossed the plate on Kiké Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the initial breakthrough did not shake a Blue Jays team that topped MLB with 49 come-from-behind wins this year.

They responded immediately in the third. Lukes hit a one-out base hit to center field and Guerrero stepped in hunting a curveball. 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 7th homer this postseason – a fresh club record – regaining the Blue Jays's lead after 13 scoreless frames and shifting the tone of the game.

Ohtani's Performance

That swing also halted Ohtani's history-making run of 11 consecutive at-bats reaching base. The two-way phenomenon had hit two home runs and got on base a historic nine times in the Los Angeles' Game 3 walk-off. But on Tuesday, he took the mound on short rest – his briefest ever – after requiring an IV to recuperate from the prior extra-inning game.

His pitch speed sat under his seasonal norm and he struggled more as the contest progressed. Nonetheless, he showed flashes of his usual control, retiring 11 of 12 after Guerrero's blast and striking out six. He even drew a walk in the first to continue his World Series streak. But the Blue Jays forced him to labor: six hits and four earned runs were credited to him in six-plus frames.

Late Game Surge

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

Varsho opened the seventh with a clean hit to right, and Clement drilled a two-base hit off the wall to put runners on with none out. Roberts had no option but to remove the starter, who departed to a standing ovation from the home crowd. The Los Angeles' relief corps could not complete the inning.

Banda inherited the mess and immediately fell behind. Giménez battled to a 3-2 count before driving in the runner with a base hit to left. France followed with a fielder's choice to make it 4-1, and that was enough to knock the pitcher out of the contest. Blake Treinen entered next but also was unable to stem the rally: Bichette and Addison Barger hit run-scoring base hits through the diamond, capping a four-run outburst that pushed the lead to 6-1.

Blue Jays's Toughness

The Blue Jays's ability to withstand initial setbacks and answer has characterized their whole postseason. They once again did it without George Springer, the injured leadoff man who exited Game 3 after tweaking his oblique.

Bieber, in contrast, was everything the Blue Jays needed. Acquired during the summer while completing recovery from Tommy John surgery, the ex- award-winning winner stranded multiple runners and silenced the Los Angeles' potent batting order. He gave up one earned run on four hits and three walks before the manager called on rookie pitcher Fluharty to confront the heart of the order in the sixth inning. He required just four pitches to retire Max Muncy and Edman, preserving a narrow lead that quickly became safe.

Converted starter Chris Bassitt then pitched a clean seventh and eighth innings as the Los Angeles' offense continued to sputter. The Dodgers have produced only three scores over their previous 20 frames, an sudden slowdown for a club that was among baseball's elite lineups all season.

Final Moments

The Dodgers managed a run in the ninth when Tommy Edman hit into an out to bring home Teoscar Hernández after a base on balls and Max Muncy's two-base hit put two aboard. But Varland finished the game without allowing a rally to develop.

Following a night when Toronto left a World Series-record 19 runners and collapsed after wave upon wave of wasted chances, the fourth contest was brutally effective. 6 separate Toronto players collected hits, 5 brought home runs and the team converted almost every scoring opportunity presented in the final stanzas.

Next Up

The victory ensures the World Series trophy will be awarded at their home stadium, where the Blue Jays have not celebrated a championship since Joe Carter's iconic game-winning homer in '93. They now know they are assured a packed crowd in Canada on Friday evening – and perhaps Saturday – no matter what happens next in LA.

The fifth game looms with the series reset and momentum swinging to Toronto. Los Angeles left-hander Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to halt the Blue Jays's surge. The Blue Jays counter with rookie Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of the opener, when the Blue Jays chased Snell quickly in an 11-4 win.