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Less than a day following staggering through one of the most exhausting losses in World Series history, the Toronto Blue Jays displayed complete command.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr crushed a two-run home run and Bieber provided a steady start as the Blue Jays defeated the Dodgers 6-2 in the fourth game on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium, tying the Fall Classic at two wins apiece and ensuring the matchup will head back to Toronto.

The Blue Jays had passed the early hours of the next day processing their 18-inning third game defeat – equal to the longest Fall Classic game ever – a loss that cost them the chance to lead the series and burned through both relief corps. Manager Schneider stated afterwards that “they won a game, not the championship”. Twenty-three hours later, his squad offered convincing proof.

Initial Innings

The Los Angeles again struck first. Max Muncy drew a walk in the second inning, advanced on a base hit and scored on Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the early breakthrough did not shake a Toronto team that led MLB with 49 comeback victories this season.

They answered right away in the third inning. Nathan Lukes hit a one away base hit to center field and Vladimir Guerrero Jr came to the plate looking for a breaking ball. Ohtani threw a slider up and he sent it screaming over the left-center wall. It was his initial extra-base hit of the series and his seventh home run this playoffs – a fresh club record – regaining the Toronto's lead after 13 scoreless innings and changing the tone of the night.

Shohei's Performance

That swing also ended Ohtani's history-making run of 11 consecutive at-bats reaching base. The dual-threat phenomenon had hit two homers and reached safely a record nine times in the Los Angeles' Game 3 walk-off. But on Tuesday, he took the mound on short rest – his briefest ever – after needing an IV to recuperate from the previous extra-inning game.

Ohtani fastball velocity was below his seasonal norm and he struggled more as the contest wore on. Even so, he showed flashes of his typical command, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero Jr's homer and striking out six. He even drew a walk in the first inning to extend his World Series streak. But the Blue Jays made him work: six hits and four runs were credited to him in over six frames.

Seventh Inning Rally

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

Varsho started the seventh with a clean hit to right, and Clement drilled a two-base hit off the wall to put runners on with no outs. Roberts had little choice but to pull the starter, who departed to a roaring applause from the local fans. The Dodgers' 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 scoring Varsho with a base hit to left. Ty France followed with a fielder's choice to make it 4-1, and that was enough to remove the pitcher out of the contest. Blake Treinen entered next but also failed to stop the rally: Bo Bichette and Barger punched RBI base hits through the diamond, capping a four-score outburst that extended the margin to 6-1.

Blue Jays's Toughness

The Blue Jays's capacity to absorb initial setbacks and answer has characterized their entire postseason. They once again did it without Springer, the hurt top-of-the-order hitter who exited Game 3 after tweaking his right side.

Shane Bieber, meanwhile, was exactly what Toronto required. Traded for mid-season while finishing rehab from Tommy John surgery, the former Cy Young winner left several runners and silenced the Los Angeles' dangerous lineup. He gave up one run on four hits and three free passes before the manager called on rookie pitcher Mason Fluharty to face the heart of the lineup in the sixth. He needed just four pitches to get out Max Muncy and Tommy Edman, protecting a fragile lead that soon grew comfortable.

Former starting pitcher Chris Bassitt then worked a scoreless seventh and eighth as the Dodgers' bats kept to sputter. Los Angeles have scored only three scores over their previous 20 frames, an sudden slowdown for a club that was among MLB's top offenses all year.

Closing Moments

The Dodgers scraped a score in the ninth when Edman grounded out to score Hernández after a base on balls and Max Muncy's two-base hit put two on base. But Varland closed it down without permitting a rally to develop.

After a game when the Blue Jays left a World Series-record 19 baserunners and fell apart after repeated of wasted chances, Game 4 was ruthlessly efficient. Six separate Blue Jays collected base hits, five drove in scores and the squad converted almost every run-scoring chance available in the final innings.

Next Up

The victory guarantees the World Series title will be presented at Rogers Centre, where the Blue Jays have not celebrated a title since Carter's famous game-winning home run in '93. They now are aware they are guaranteed a full house in Canada on Friday night – and possibly the next day – no matter what occurs next in LA.

The fifth game looms with the series reset and momentum shifting north. Los Angeles left-hander Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to halt the Toronto's momentum. Toronto respond with first-year player Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of the opener, when the Toronto chased the starter quickly in an 11-4 victory.