Follow Game 4 of the World Series from St. Louis–really, they’re going to play this time–live with baseball reporter Jim Masilak HERE beginning at 6:45 p.m. And while you’re at it, click on Jim’s name below to send him your questions, thoughts and comments as the Cardinals try to extend their 2-1 series lead.

Top 9th: Cardinals 5, Tigers 4 – Ordonez grounds out to short and that’s it. The Cardinals are one win away from their first world title since 1982. It’s rocking at Busch and it’s time for me to file my story.

We’ll see you back here tomorrow night to see if the Cardinals can clinch it, or whether Detroit can bring this one back to the Motor City. Expect Kenny Rogers to start for the Tigers, giving this one a really intriguing subplot.

Bye for now…

Top 9th: Cardinals 5, Tigers 4 – Guillen grounds it to first, and pujols takes it himself. One out to go…

Top 9th: Cardinals 5, Tigers 4 – Wainwright stays in the game and starts off by striking out Monroe. The fans at Busch are greeting each strike as if the series were about to be won. And, for all intents and purposes, it probably is. Two outs to go.

Bot 8th: Cardinals 5, Tigers 4 – Bedlam in Busch as Eckstein comes through again! He doubles off the glove of a diving Monrote in left, and the Cardinals take the lead. Taguchi comes up looking for more…but he pops up to first to end the inning. Three outs to go, but who will try to get them?

Bot 8th: Cardinals 4, Tigers 4 – Good grief! Encarnacion flails at one in the dirt for strike three, but the pitch goes to the backstop and everyone’s safe. That brings up Eckstein and the top of the order with two out.

Bot 8th: Cardinals 4, Tigers 4 – With a runner on first and nobody out, Miles hits intp a 6-4 fielder’s choice. Now Encarnacion has a chance to win his starting job back after two straight nights on the bench.

Top 8th: Cardinals 4, Tigers 4 – Wainwright works his way out of the jam with a pair of strikeouts. Hyperbole alert: This one is fast turning into a classic.

Top 8th: Cardinals 4, Tigers 4 – La Russa opts to bring in his closer, Adam Wainwright, but the move backfires as Inge launches an RBI double to right-center to tie the game.

Top 8th: Tigers 3, Cardinals 2 – Braden Looper is the new Cardinal pitcher, and the all-of-a-sudden red-hot Pudge greets him with a double to left. There’s fight in these Tigers yet, it seems.

Bot 7th: Cardinals 4, Tigers 3 – Preston Wilson delivers for the Cardinals. His RBI single to left scores Taguchi to give the Cardinals their first lead of the night. Pujols is caught between second and third to end the inning, but no one in Busch Stadium–well, except perhaps La Russa–seems to care. The Cards are six outs away from a 3-1 series lead.

Bot 7th: Tigers 3, Cardinals 3 – Rodney strikes back, fanning Edmonds. Now it’s Rolen’s turn with runners on first and second and one out…

Bot 7th: Tigers 3, Cardinals 3 – The Tigers really are bumbling their way through this series. After Pujols gets a free pass, Edmonds steps in against a shaken Rodney. But Leyland sticks with his man, for better or worse.

Bot 7th: Tigers 3, Cardinals 3 – It’s all falling apart for the Tigers. Taguchi lats down a bunt and Rodney, doing his best Joel Zumaya impersonation, chucks the ball way over Casey’s head at first and the game is tied. Unbelievable stuff!

Bot 7th: Tigers 3, Cardinals 2 – How to describe this… Eckstein lofts a seemingly routine fly to center, but a backpedaling Granderson loses his footing on the soggy turf and falls down. It’s a double for Eckstein, and So Taguchi is called upon to hit for Duncan.

Top 7th: Tigers 3, Cardinals 2 – Johnson gets his man, with Casey flying out to Duncan in right.

Top 7th: Tigers 3, Cardinals 2 – With a runner on second and two out, the Cardinals call on left-hander Tyler Johnson, another former Redbird, to face the lefthanded-hitting Casey.

Top 7th: Tigers 3, Cardinals 2 – Former Redbird righthander Josh Kinney is on to face Monroe as the Cardinals try to stay within reach here … and Wilson helps him out with a nice sliding catch in left.

Bot 6th: Tigers 3, Cardinals 2 – A real opportunity missed there by the Cardinals as Rodriguez whiffs. The first round of managerial strategy goes to Leyland. I’m a bit surprised La Russa didn’t go for the squeeze there with Miles, who’s a good bunter.

Bot 6th: Tigers 3, Cardinals 2 – Miles turns around to the left side to face Rodney. With Suppan due up next, Josh Kinney is warming up in the ‘pen in anticipation of a pinch-hitter…Miles strikes out, and Tony La Russa calls on John Rodriguez to bat for Suppan, whose night–and possibly his World Series–is over. He threw 87 pitches.

Bot 6th: Tigers 3, Cardinals 2 – While Suppan has settled in for the Cardinals the last few innings, it’s not w Bonderman who’s looking shaky. He plunks Molina with a 3-0 pitch and Leyland is wasting no time. He’s calling to the bullpen for right-hander Fernando Rodney.

Bot 6th: Tigers 3, Cardinals 2 – Who else would the Cardinals rather have up these days with the tying run at third and less than two outs than Molina? No one, according to 46,000 at Busch, who chant “Yadi! Yadi! Yadi!” But has he done it again?…

Bot 6th: Tigers 3, Cardinals 2 – Rolen leads off the Cardinal half of the sixth with a double into the left-field corner. The tying run is at second for Preston Wilson, who sacrifices him to third with a perfectly executed bunt. And here I thought he might make like his stepfather, Mookie, and put one between the first baseman’s wickets…

Top 6th: Tigers 3, Cardinals 2 – After a one-out single by Inge, Bonderman sacrifices him into scoring position for Granderson. But he bounces out softly to Pujols at first, and the Tigers fail to add to their lead in the sixth.

Bot 5th: Tigers 3, Cardinals 2 – Edmonds goes down hacking and Bonderman, who has pitched reasonably well tonight, makes himself eligible for his first World Series win. Not to get ahead of myself or anything.

Bot 5th: Tigers 3, Cardinals 2 – Pujols draws a two-out walk, bringing up Edmonds. Melissa writes: “Can I just say that Suppan is not even close to pitching well enough tonight to make up for not tagging up at 3rd base during Game 3 of the 2004 Series against BoSox?” Not one to hold grudges are you, Melissa?

Top 5th: Tigers 3, Cardinals 2 – Suppan does well as Rodriguez grounds into a 6-4 fielder’s choice. And we’re halfway home.

Top 5th: Tigers 3, Cardinals 2 – Casey collects his third hit of the night–this one of the one-base variety, and Pudge steps in with runners on first and third. Pudge also has two hits tonight. What’s gotten into these Tigers?

Top 5th: Tigers 3, Cardinals 2 – Dave Duncan is out to visit Suppan as Casey steps in. I don’t know what Dave told him, but my advice would have been, Don’t give up another homer here, big boy, or you’re done.

Top 5th: Tigers 3, Cardinals 2 – Guillen lashes a one-out single to right. That’s the Tigers’ sixth hit against Suppan, who’s really slowingthe pace down now. C’mon Jeff, I’ve got a deadline to worry about. Big-league ball players are so inconsiderate of others.

Bot 4th: Tigers 3, Cardinals 2 – Suppan grounds out to end the inning, but the Cardinals are a run closer. And the PA announcer digs deep into the Jock Jams collection to play Everybody Dance Now. As Johnny Mac might say: You. Cannot. Be. Serious.

Bot 4th: Tigers 3, Cardinals 2 – And the former Redbird catcher comes through again, ripping a high fastball past Inge and down the left-field line, scoring Rolen and pulling the Cards within a run. Bonderman is walking Miles to get to Suppan, who will have an opportunity to show those AL pitchers how the NL rolls. Or something like that.

Bot 4th: Tigers 3, Cardinals 1 – Rolen hustles out a one-out double to left as Monroe dances around, perhaps slipping a bit on the damp outfield grass. Wilson moves him over to third with a grounder to short, and that brings up Yadier Molina.

Top 4th: Tigers 3, Cardinals 1 – Suppan, perhaps energized by the signs of life from his offense, rebounds with a 1-2-3 inning.

Bot 3rd: Tigers 3, Cardinals 1 – But he comes up empty, grounding out to short to end the inning and letting Bonderman, who looked shaky there for the first time tonight, off the hook.

Bot 3rd: Tigers 3, Cardinals 1 – The crowd comes alive as Duncan walks, bringing up Pujols with a chance to give the Cardinals the lead. The big man really is due for a big hit…

Bot 3rd: Tigers 3, Cardinals 1 – Whatever Bonderman was told during that meeting of the minds on the mound, it didn’t work. Eckstein rips the next pitch into left-center for a double, driving home the Cardinals’ first run of the night and giving Duncan a chance to make amends for that earlier double play.

Bot 3rd: Tigers 3, Cardinals 0 – Aaron Miles drops a one-out single in front of a sliding Granderson in center. The crowd greets the Cardinals’ second hit with hearty applause but then realizes the pitcher’s up…Then Miles breaks for second and slides in ahead of a poor throw from the pudgy one. Suppan’s wild protective swing was really quite amusing.

Top 3rd: Tigers 3, Cardinals 0 – As Suppan eventually retires the side, Robert from Florida is pulling for the series to be extended through the weekend: “The best thing about the baseball playoffs going on is getting to hear Don Stockton and Troy Aikman on FOX NFL broadcasts. I can’t put into words how much better they are together than Aikman and Joe Buck.” Dick Stockton’s pretty good too, Robert.

Top 3rd: Tigers 3, Cardinals 0 – Pudge does it again, singling to right for the second time in the game and driving home the third Tiger run. There’s life in the Pussycat Dolls yet, and I’m really beginning to regret that ill-timed dig.

Top 3rd: Tigers 2, Cardinals 0 – Guillen walks anyway, and Sean Casey follows two batters later with an RBI single to right as the Tigers double their advantage. Suppan really is looking quite ordinary tonight. And to think this may well be his only appearance in this series, what with just two days off between now and a potential Game 7.

Top 3rd: Tigers 1, Cardinals 0 – Well, that was interesting. Guillen swings on a 3-0 count and fouls one back. What is this, Little League?

Top 3rd: Tigers 1, Cardinals 0 – Granderson leads off with a double down the right-field line, bringing up Monroe with a runner in scoring position.

Boy will Fox be glad when this ratings disaster is over. On the other hand, it’ll be a tragedy for the makers of the red hair dye being sold by the bucketful here in St. Louis. There’s something quite frightening about grown men dying their goatees/imperiales/soul patches in homage to Cardinals utility man Scott Spiezio.

Bot 2nd: Tigers 1, Cardinals 0 – Wilson grounds out to end the inning and extend his own miserable run at the plate. He’s 1 for 8 in the series. Can anyone here hit?

Bot 2nd: Tigers 1, Cardinals 0 – There’s a stoppage in play as Bonderman calls to the dugout for some pine tar. OK, so it was a file to clean his cleats. But who can say what might be on the file, eh?

Bot 2nd: Tigers 1, Cardinals 0 – After Edmonds goes down swinging, Scott Rolen gives the fans a thrill by hitting one to deep left-center. But in the end it’s a comfortable catch for Craig Monroe.

Bot 2nd: Tigers 1, Cardinals 0 – Edmonds, who apparently is still so messed up from post-concussion syndrome that he can barely stand up, will lead off for the Cardinals in the second.

Top 2nd: Tigers 1, Cardinals 0 – Bonderman surprises everyone–including himself, no doubt–by fouling a pair off before grounding out to first to end the inning.

Top 2nd: Tigers 1, Cardinals 0 – Even Bonderman has to smile as he flails futilely at a slider from Suppan. That’s namby-pamby AL baseball for you.

Top 2nd: Tigers 1, Cardinals 0 – Oops. Polanco flies out to center, but Pudge surprises Jim Edmonds by tagging up and heading for second. There’s not even a play. The Cardinals appeal, thinking Pudge might have left first early, but no dice says first base umpire John Hirschbeck. Suppan then intentionally walks Inge to get to Bonderman with two out and runners on first and second.

Top 2nd: Tigers 1, Cardinals 0 – Then Pudge, who had been 0 for 11 in the series, fights off an inside pitch and pushes it into right for a single. Suppan got off to a great start, but he’s due for a clunker. Is this going to be it?

Top 2nd: Tigers 1, Cardinals 0 – Er, never mind. Sean Casey goes down for a pitch at his shins and knocks it 386 feet and over the wall in right, and the previously toothless Tigers have the lead!

Top 2nd: Tigers 0, Cardinals 0 – It tells you something about the state of the Tigers’ lineup that manager Jim Leyland has Pudge Rodriguez hitting sixth in the order and ALCS MVP Placido Polanco, he of the one-man media boycott, batting seventh. These guys are really scuffling, and it continues as Magglio Ordonez strikes out meekly. I would say the Tiger hitters are looking more like Pussycat Dolls, but that might offend the Pussycat Dolls.

Bot 1st: Tigers 0, Cardinals 0 – Yikes. Pujols swings at a Bonderman slider and misses it by two feet. Two strikes later and the big man is out. Again. Pujols is now 2 for 11 in the series. That’s not good.

Bot 1st: Tigers 0, Cardinals 0 – Isn’t that always the way? Hit one out foul, then nub a puny dribbler toward third. But Eckstein beats the throw from a hard-charging Brandon Inge, and the leadoff man is on for Duncan…who promptly hits into a 6-3 double play. Not the thing to do with Pujols on deck.

Bot 1st: Tigers 0, Cardinals 0 – And he very nearly does! Eckstein lines one down the left-field line that was about 12 feet foul. Had it stayed fair, it would have been gone. Details, details.

Bot 1st: Tigers 0, Cardinals 0 – It’ll be Eckstein, Duncan and Pujols to face Bonderman, who was 14-8 in the regular season after going a miserable 6-19 three short years ago. Eckstein broke out of his slump with a couple hits the other night and will be hoping to build on that.

Top 1st: Tigers 0, Cardinals 0 – The crowd is on its feet as Suppan retires the side in order by striking out Carlos Guillen. The top of the Tiger order just can’t buy a hit. If they haven’t tried, perhaps they should. It might be the only way these guys get someone on base.

Top 1st: Tigers 0, Cardinals 0 – Curtis Granderson leads it off for the Tigers, while the Cardinal crowd chant “SUPE!” The first pitch is a ball, the second results in a lineout to David Eckstein at short. Nice way to start for the home team.

Weather-wise, it’s actually kind of pleasant, all things considered, with temps in the high 40s.

7:28 p.m. update: We’re just moments away from the first pitch here. As soon as FOX gets done promoting the series premier of the OC, that is…And here come the Cardinals onto the field. They’ve been waiting 24 years here for a world title. They could be just 48 hours away.

7:20 p.m. update: What does a guy have to do to get someone to send him an E-mail? If you’re out there, let me know. If you’re not, well, you should be.

7:15 p.m. update: The Cardinals can really take command of this series with a win tonight. With a well-rested Jeff Suppan on the mound to face an offensively challenged Tigers outfit, they’d have to like their chances to take a 3-1 lead. Unfortunately, Billy Bob Thornton won’t be here to see it. After braving the rain last night, the ex-Mr. Angelina Jolie apparently couldn’t make it tonight. Too bad, I guess.

7 p.m. update: Sorry for the late start. The wireless system is being taxed here at Busch Stadium, where we’re actually going to have baseball tonight after rain wiped out Wednesday’s first attempt to play Game 4. The Cardinals announced before the game that Jeff Weaver, and not Anthony Reyes, will pitch Game 5 on Friday. St. Louis, however, will go with the same lineup tonight that it planned to use Wednesday, with Chris Duncan getting the start in right field and batting second against Tigers righthander Jeremy Bonderman.