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Less than a day after enduring one of the most draining defeats in Fall Classic annals, the Toronto Blue Jays played with total command.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr smashed a two-run homer and Shane Bieber provided a composed start as Toronto defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday night at their home ballpark, tying the World Series at two games each and guaranteeing the series will return to Toronto.

Toronto had passed the early hours of Tuesday processing their marathon Game 3 loss – tied for the lengthiest World Series contest ever – a loss that cost them the opportunity to take the lead in the series and depleted both bullpens. Skipper Schneider stated later that “they took a contest, not the World Series”. Twenty-three hours later, his squad provided emphatic proof.

Initial Action

The Los Angeles again scored first. Muncy walked in the second, moved up on a single and scored on Hernández's fly out. But the initial breakthrough did not shake a Blue Jays club that led Major League Baseball with 49 comeback wins this season.

They responded right away in the third inning. Nathan Lukes lined a one away single to center field and Vladimir Guerrero Jr came to the plate hunting a breaking ball. Ohtani left a sweeper up and he drove it soaring over the left-center wall. It was his initial extra-base hit of the series and his 7th homer this postseason – a new club record – regaining the Blue Jays's advantage after 13 shutout innings and shifting the tone of the game.

Shohei's Night

That hit also ended Ohtani's record-setting streak of 11 consecutive plate appearances getting on base. The two-way phenomenon had hit two home runs and got on base a record nine times in the Los Angeles' third game comeback win. But on Tuesday, he started on limited rest – his briefest ever – after needing an IV to recuperate from the previous marathon.

Ohtani pitch speed was below his seasonal average and he struggled more as the game progressed. Nonetheless, he displayed glimpses of his typical command, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero's blast and fanning six. He even drew a walk in the first inning to continue his World Series record. But the Toronto made him work: six hits and four earned runs were charged to him in six-plus innings.

Seventh Inning Surge

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

Varsho opened the seventh with a clean single to right field, and Clement drilled a double off the wall to put runners on with no outs. Roberts had little choice but to pull Ohtani, who departed to a standing ovation from the local fans. The Los Angeles' relief corps could not finish the inning.

Banda came into the mess and right away trailed in the count. Andrés Giménez fought to a full count before driving in the runner with a single to left. Ty France came up next with a groundout to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to knock the pitcher out of the contest. Blake Treinen came in next but also was unable to stop the momentum: Bichette and Addison Barger hit RBI base hits through the diamond, completing a four-run barrage that pushed the margin to 6-1.

Toronto's Toughness

The Toronto's ability to absorb early setbacks and answer has defined their whole run. They once again did it without Springer, the injured leadoff man who left the third game after tweaking his oblique.

Shane Bieber, in contrast, was exactly what Toronto required. Traded for mid-season while completing recovery from Tommy John surgery, the ex- Cy Young winner left multiple runners and quieted the Dodgers' dangerous batting order. He allowed one run on four hits and three walks before Schneider summoned first-year pitcher Mason Fluharty to face the heart of the lineup in the sixth. Fluharty needed just 4 throws to retire Muncy and Tommy Edman, protecting a fragile lead that soon became comfortable.

Converted starter Chris Bassitt then pitched a scoreless seventh and eighth as the Dodgers' offense continued to struggle. The Dodgers have scored only 3 runs over their previous 20 frames, an sudden downturn for a club that was among baseball's elite lineups all year.

Closing Moments

The Los Angeles scraped a score in the ninth when Tommy Edman grounded out to bring home Teoscar Hernández after a base on balls and Max Muncy's two-base hit put runners aboard. But Varland finished the game without permitting a rally to build.

Following a game when Toronto stranded a World Series-record 19 runners and collapsed after repeated of wasted chances, the fourth contest was brutally effective. Six different Blue Jays collected base hits, 5 drove in scores and the squad converted nearly every run-scoring opportunity presented in the final innings.

Looking Ahead

The win guarantees the championship trophy will be presented at their home stadium, where the Toronto have not celebrated a title since Joe Carter's famous game-winning home run in 1993. They now know they are guaranteed a full house in Canada on Friday night – and perhaps the next day – no matter what happens next in LA.

Game 5 approaches with the matchup reset and momentum shifting north. Dodgers left-hander 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 repeat of the opener, when the Toronto chased Snell quickly in an 11-4 win.