Game 4 of the World Series

This was the last game I will get to watch. With the volleyball playoffs Monday and Wednesday and football on Thursday, it's a full week of work.

From earlier:

Welcome to Game 4 of the World Series live from my living room.

The Cardinals will send Edwin Jackson to the mound while the Rangers will have yet another lefty in Derek Holland pitching for them.

Only change for the Cardinals' lineup is Nick Punto playing second and batting ninth instead of Ryan Theriot.

I'll post from the top down to make it easy to refresh.

WRAP UP

Cards get two hits a night after scoring two touchdowns. Why? Soft-tossing lefty starting pitcher. Derek Holland pitched the Rangers back into the series. It's tied 2-2, meaning a best-of-3 with two of those back in St. Louis.

The good news for the Cardinals is they saved the bullpen tonight. Jackson did his job. Boggs and Westbrook saved the arms for tomorrow just in case Chris Carpenter can't finish the job.

Game 5 will be a classic. If vintage Carpenter shows up and the Wilson follows Holland's plan it could be low scoring. Then again, pitchers have to make pitches and we saw in Game 3 just how hard that can be.

The Rangers haven't lost consecutive games since August we keep hearing so for the Cards to win the title they either have to break that trend or win Games 5 and 7.

NINTH

Cards have 9-1-2 coming up ... break out the rally caps ... never mind, Holland comes out to finish them off.

One-out walk to Furcal ends Holland's night. Or not. Yep, Washington couldn't get talked out of it. Felix on to pitch. He's struggled to find the strike zone and walks Craig. Must want the save opportunity.

Pujols flies out on 0-2 pitch. ... Holliday fouls off a 3-2 pitch twice, strikes out.

Rangers win 4-0. Series tied 2-2.

EIGHTH

If Ron Washington takes out Holland he should have his head examined. Notice how Holland is throwing harder now that he's deeper into the game and has a four-run lead. Soft, soft, soft, to keep the Cards off-balance, then bring the gas late. Hopefully, C.J. Wilson is not taking notes.

FOX just twisted the knife with that Ron Kulpa 'sounds of the game' segment. Seriously, was that to humanize him? When have you ever seen that? All night we've gotten the line of he's a good ump, so what he's from St. Louis, he's a nice guy, ect. Joe Torre write tonight's script?

Jake Westbrook pitching and Rangers have their closer warming up. What?!? Guy is pitching a two-hit shutout in a need-to-win World Series game and you're going to lift him?

Nice DP started by Punto to end the inning, Rangers still up 4-0.

SEVENTH

Pujols and Holliday ground out to pitcher, Berkman caught looking at strike three.

Time to stretch.

Much will be said after this one about the strike zone. Of course the home plate ump is the same one who missed the call at first last night. Cards have been chirping all night about inside pitches that are too far inside and I thought Berkman was going to be tossed after getting called out on that last one.

All you can ask is that if the zone is big for one team it goes for both side. Not sure if that's the case here because Holland is a lefty and those pitches are breaking inside on right-handed hitters while Jackson walked seven.

But knowing the Cards' past struggles with soft-tossing lefties I'm not surprised tonight and you can't blame the ump. Holland made good pitches.

Rangers lead 4-0.

SIXTH

Holland finally walks a batter, Punto, with one out in the sixth. His pitch count is in the 60s. But he strikes out Allen Craig to end the inning.

That shot of Cowboys Stadium had the baseball game on the big screen.

Jackson about to throw his 100th pitch.

Jackson is done, 5 1/3, 3 hits. Not a bad outing outside the walks. Rangers made him work. They had a book on him, faced him before, and he only gave up one run and ran into trouble in that first inning.

Napoli goes yard on first pitch by Boggs, Rangers up 4-0.

FIFTH

Usually the second and third time through the lineup will be a little tougher for a pitcher but Holland and Jackson have been tough the last couple of innings.

Holland was one of the three reasons why I picked the Rangers to win the Series in six games as noted in previous blogs.

Of course it should be noted my prognostication ability is pretty bad.

Big inning here for Jackson ... and on cue Jackson walks the leadoff hitter. Outside of the five walks, Jackson has pitched pretty well after the first inning. ... Rangers fail to get down a bunt to move the runner up. I know it's an AL park but in an NL game, that's gotta get down. Then again, Hamilton is up next ... Jackson strikes him out but he's over 90 pitches.

End of fifth, Rangers up 1-0. Think it will end up 1-0?

FOURTH

Craig gets a 3-1 pitch and grounds out to first. Pujols pops up to first. Holliday grounds out to third for a 1-2-3 inning.

Jackson walks a pair with two outs but end frame with a strike out.

Rangers up 1-0.

THIRD

Very quiet inning on both sides and here. Jen and Jack are both watching TV elsewhere. I'm "grumpy."

Rangers still up 1-0.

SECOND

Texas beat up on Jackson in a May start. He gave up 11 hits and four runs in five innings. Just saying.

Yadi gets robbed up the middle with Berkman at second. Holland looks good through two innings and is getting the inside strike call. Might be a long night for the Cardinal hitters.

Yadi picks off a runner at first to end the inning. (Needed that in the ninth of Game 2).

Rangers up 1-0.

FIRST

Albert Pujols up trying to become first player to hit four straight homers in the World Series. ... grounds out to shortstop. 1-2-3 first inning.

By the way, Pujols tied the Cardinals all-time records for career home runs in World Series play. Who did he tie? ... Lou Brock.

Rangers score first as Josh Hamilton doubles down the right-field line to score a run. And the Rangers laed for the second time in the series.

According to FOX, Jackson has an ERA around 6 in the first inning and it's lower the rest of the way. He reminds me of a young Matt Morris. Jackson has given up 22 first-inning runs in 2011

Rangers leave the bases loaded, lead 1-0.