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Less than a day following staggering through one of the most exhausting losses in Fall Classic annals, the Toronto Blue Jays displayed total control.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr smashed a two-run home run and Bieber provided a composed start as Toronto defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 in the fourth game on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium, squaring the World Series at two wins apiece and guaranteeing the matchup will head back to Toronto.

The Blue Jays had spent the early hours of Tuesday dealing with their 18-inning third game defeat – 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 relief corps. Manager Schneider stated afterwards that “the Dodgers took a contest, not the World Series”. A day later, his squad provided convincing evidence.

Initial Innings

The Dodgers again scored first. Max Muncy walked in the second, advanced on a base hit and scored on Kiké Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the early score did not shake a Toronto team that led MLB with 49 come-from-behind wins this year.

They responded immediately in the third. Lukes lined a one-out single to center field and Vladimir Guerrero Jr stepped in looking for a curveball. Shohei Ohtani threw a sweeper up and he sent it soaring over the outfield fence. It was his first long hit of the series and his 7th home run this playoffs – a fresh 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 Ohtani's record-setting streak of 11 consecutive at-bats getting on base. The dual-threat star had hit two homers and got on base a record nine times in the Los Angeles' third game comeback win. But on Tuesday, he started on short rest – his shortest ever – after requiring an IV to recover from the prior extra-inning game.

His pitch speed sat under his regular-season average and he struggled more as the game wore on. Even so, he showed flashes of his typical control, retiring 11 of 12 after Guerrero Jr's blast and striking out six. He even walked in the first inning to extend his World Series record. But the Toronto forced him to labor: six base hits and four earned runs were credited to him in six-plus frames.

Late Game Surge

The larger issue for Los Angeles was what followed when Ohtani eventually lost steam.

Daulton Varsho started the seventh with a sharp hit to right field, and Ernie Clement drilled a double off the fence to put runners on with none out. Dave 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 escape.

Banda inherited the jam and right away fell behind. Giménez fought to a 3-2 count before driving in the runner with a base hit to left. France came up next with a groundout to make it 4-1, and that was enough to knock the pitcher out of the game. Treinen entered next but also failed to stop the momentum: Bichette and Addison Barger punched RBI singles through the diamond, completing a four-run outburst that pushed the margin to 6-1.

Toronto's Toughness

The Blue Jays's ability to absorb early setbacks and respond has defined their entire run. They once again succeeded without Springer, the injured leadoff hitter who exited the third game after straining his right side.

Bieber, in contrast, was exactly what the Blue Jays required. Acquired mid-season while completing rehab from Tommy John surgery, the ex- Cy Young winner left several runners and silenced the Los Angeles' potent batting order. He gave up one earned run on four hits and three walks before Schneider summoned first-year left-hander Fluharty to confront the heart of the order in the sixth inning. Fluharty required just four pitches to retire Max Muncy and Tommy Edman, preserving a fragile advantage that soon grew comfortable.

Converted starter Bassitt then pitched a scoreless seventh and eighth as the Los Angeles' offense continued to sputter. Los Angeles have produced only three scores over their last 20 innings, an sudden slowdown for a team that ranked among baseball's top offenses all year.

Closing Moments

The Los Angeles managed a score in the ninth when Edman hit into an out to score Teoscar Hernández after a base on balls and Muncy's two-base hit put two aboard. But Varland closed it down without allowing a comeback to build.

Following a night when the Blue Jays left a Fall Classic-record 19 runners and collapsed after wave upon wave of wasted chances, the fourth contest was ruthlessly efficient. 6 different Blue Jays recorded hits, 5 brought home scores and the team cashed nearly every run-scoring opportunity presented in the late stanzas.

Next Up

The win guarantees the championship trophy will be presented at their home stadium, where the Blue Jays have not celebrated a title since Joe Carter's famous walk-off home run in 1993. They now know they are assured a full crowd in Toronto on Friday night – and perhaps Saturday – no matter what occurs next in LA.

Game 5 looms with the matchup reset and momentum shifting north. Los Angeles left-hander Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to arrest the Blue Jays's momentum. Toronto counter with first-year player Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of the opener, when the Blue Jays knocked out Snell early in an 11-4 victory.