8:47 p.m. - Lowell grounds out on a 91-mph sinker, and the first pitch to Drew is 92 mph. Cook may be settling in a bit.

8:48 p.m. - Drew pops up an 89-mph sinker on the second pitch he sees.

8:50 p.m. - Varitek grounds a 3-2 pitch to second for Cook's fifth groundball out. A quick second for him.

8:55 p.m. - Helton shows the rest of the Rockies how it's done, driving a 3-2 pitch to left-center and then hustling to second for a double. That's a single in any ballpark with narrower gaps. Terrific at-bat.

8:57 p.m. - Atkins hit a routine grounder to short. Lugo had big problems getting the ball out of his glove and made an awful throw that Ortiz had to pick on a hop. Helton is forced to stay at second.

8:59 p.m. - Spilborghs takes an 0-1 pitch to right-center for a routine out. It was deep enough to advance Helton to third, but now there are two outs with Hawpe up.

9:02 p.m. - Hawpe walks after a 3-1 curveball is called outside. As much trouble as Hawpe has had hitting good fastballs, I'm stunned he didn't get one there. Torrealba up with runners on the corners.

9:05 p.m. - Torrealba falls behind 0-2 and ends up grounding out weakly to shortstop. 1-0 Boston after two innings.

9:10 p.m. - Lugo grounds an 0-2 pitch to second, and Lester grounds to third on a 1-1 pitch. Cook has been flawless since the leadoff double. Ortiz's RBI single wasn't hit hard -- it was simply put in the right spot.

9:12 p.m. - Ellsbury has his bat broken on another easy grounder. That's eight groundball outs for Cook in three innings.

9:16 p.m. - Cook flies out to right on a 1-2 pitch. Lester is once through the lineup having allowed just one hit.

9:17 p.m. - Matsui shows bunt on a first-pitch curve, but he pulls it back. On a 1-2 pitch, Matsui doubles over the head of Ramirez. A quality left fielder makes that catch. Of course, in Fenway it's probably a double off the wall anyway.

9:19 p.m. - Tulo again swings at the first pitch and again fouls it off. At least it was a strike this time. Another foul on the second pitch. That might have been a ball. Tulo takes a low cutter for ball one and an inside fastball for ball two. Lester needs to go up and away with a fastball here. Instead he comes in with another cutter and gets the swinging K. Two out for Holliday.

9:22 p.m. - I wouldn't recommend it, but one could justify walking Holliday here. Helton is too good against lefties to make it the best strategy. Holliday swings through the 1-0 fastball high and outside. A cutter misses inside. He swings and misses at a cutter below the knees. Holliday gets a fastball that catches too much of the plate, but he merely fouls it off. Another cutter here? No, high heat for strike three. That one was shoulder level. 1-0 Red Sox after three.

9:33 p.m. - Pedroia grounds out to Helton, with Cook covering, to open the fourth. Ortiz pops up a 1-2 pitch. Ramirez drives his two-strike pitch to left, but it's right at Holliday for the third out of the frame. That's just the second well-hit ball for Boston thus far.

9:39 p.m. - Helton gets ahead 3-1, but all he can do from there is ground to second. Who would have thought this one might turn into a pitcher's duel?

9:40 p.m. - Atkins' moderately hit liner is caught by Lugo for a one-pitch out.

9:42 p.m. - Spilborghs draws a walk on a 3-2 cutter well upstairs.

9:45 p.m. - Hawpe gets under a 1-2 curve for a routine fly to center. Boston up 1-0 after four. The Rockies have led after just three of 31 innings to date.

9:49 p.m. - Lowell cruises into second with a first-pitch double to right-center. Holliday drops the ball after initially picking it up, but Lowell can't advance.

9:50 p.m. - Drew looks like he was trying to go to the right side to advance the runner, but he can't get his grounder past Cook. Lowell has to hold on the groundout.

9:51 p.m. - Varitek singles through the right side, and Hawpe's throw a bit towards the third base line, preventing Torrealba from making the tag. A great slide by Lowell makes it 2-0.

9:52 p.m. - After McCarver's rant about how they shouldn't have pitched to Tek -- I think it was the right move -- Lugo promptly singles up the middle on the first pitch he sees. Runners on first and second with Lester up. He'll attempt to bunt.

9:54 p.m. - Affeldt up in the pen, though a quick hook would be the wrong move here. Now Speier is up as well.

9:56 p.m. - Lester misses on the first bunt attempt, but the next two pitches are balls. He punches at the fourth pitch and misses. It doesn't look like this is something he's spent much time working on. He squares around and takes ball three. If Cook walks him here, he might be done. Lester again shows bunt and fans. Somethnig for him to practice over the winter.

9:58 p.m. - Ellsbury gets a high sinker to hit on a 2-1 pitch and fouls it off. He goes down swinging on a slider low and inside. That's Cook's first real strikeout of the night and it ends the fifth. An hour and a half for 4 1/2 innings is pretty good.

10:03 p.m. - Cook is on deck, so it looks like he'll get a chance to start the sixth. Lester uses his cutter to get strike two to Torrealba. It seems like it was the last thing to come back for him this year, and it's been a big weapon for him tonight. After fouling off a couple of fastballs, Torrealba pops up another cutter for the first out.

10:06 p.m. - Cook gets a bunt single on an 0-1 pitch. He does attack the right side with his attempt, but there was nothing any first baseman in the game could have done about that one. Once it was past Lester, it was a hit.

10:07 p.m. - Matsui shows bunt on the first pitch and pulls it back for a ball. He pops the 1-1 pitch to short for the second out of the inning. Delcarmen up in the pen for Boston just in case.

10:08 p.m. - Tulo swings at the first pitch for the third straight at-bat. This one he keeps in fair territory, but it's simply a hard grounder to Lowell to end the inning. Tulo is hitting .200 with 14 strikeouts in 40 postseason at-bats.

10:12 p.m. - Herges has replaced Speier alongside Affeldt in the pen. The Rockies seemingly want to get another full inning from Cook, but they won't risk it if a couple of guys reach.

10:13 p.m. - Pedroia's hard grounder up the middle is snared by Cook. That probably would have been a single had it gotten by the pitcher.

10:14 p.m. - The Rockies shift for Ortiz this time and Tulo gathers the moderately hit grounder on the other side of second base. Two outs.

10:16 p.m. - Manny hits a weak dribbler down the third-base line. He hustles out of the box, but Atkins still throws him out easily. The Red Sox have no walks through six after getting 18 in the first three games of the series.

10:19 p.m. - Holliday swings at the first pitch and pops it up to first. That's a pretty unimpressive at-bat from the possible NL MVP.

10:21 p.m. - Helton gets ahead 3-0 and lines the 3-1 pitch to left, but it's handled by Ramirez for out No. 2. Atkins up.

10:25 p.m. - Atkins walks on a 3-2 cutter high. That's going to be it for Lester. I suppose it's hard to argue with the quick hook with the Red Sox having gotten everything they could have asked for from Lester tonight. Still, as good as he's been, it would have been nice to see him get one chance to finish the inning.

10:26 p.m. - It's Delcarmen taking over. Since the Red Sox have the lead, there's a good chance we'll see Okajima for the eighth and Papelbon for the ninth tonight. Neither one figures to be asked to go more than an inning. If the Red Sox were behind, even if it was close, I would think Okajima would be saved for Game 5.

10:28 p.m. - Oddly, the Red Sox have no one up behind Delcarmen, even though he was wild last night. He falls behind Spilborghs 2-0 before evening the count. The fifth pitch is a high fastball that generates a swing and a miss. Boston up 2-0 after six innings. Cook, who is at just 68 pitches, should start the seventh for Colorado.

10:32 p.m. - Lowell states his case for MVP honors with Boston's first homer since Pedroia's leadoff shot in the first game. 3-0. Cook is getting pulled with Drew up.

10:33 p.m. - Nice to see Cook get a good ovation despite leaving with the Rockies down 3-0. He did a fine job of keeping Colorado in the game. 69 pitches in six-plus innings against an offense that is firing on all cylinders is quite impressive.

10:35 p.m. - Lowell is batting .429 with the homer, four RBI and three walks. Ellsbury is at .400 with four doubles, four runs and three RBI. Pedroia is at .294 with a homer and four RBI after starting tonight's game 0-for-3. I'm guessing Lowell will be the MVP if the Red Sox finish the Rockies off tonight.

10:37 p.m. - Just a little drama here would be nice. The Red Sox have outscored the Rockies 33-7 up to this point. Even when they swept the Cardinals in 2004, it was only a 25-12 margin, with none of the games being decided by more than four runs.

10:39 p.m. - Affeldt fans Drew for the first out of the seventh. Varitek singles past a diving Atkins. Lugo then grounds to first. It ends up being a double play after the tag of first, as Varitek doesn't run all the way to second.

10:41 p.m. - SI..com is reporting that A-Rod is opting out. Selig not a happy camper.

10:46 p.m. - OK, the A-Rod news is on the site. The commissioner's office certainly didn't want that news to break during Game 4 of the World Series. If A-Rod is done as a Yankee, Lowell could win the Series MVP and see his chances of staying in Boston reduced on the very same night.

10:47 p.m. - Delcarmen still in the game because of the double play. Had his spot come up in the top of the seventh, he would have been removed for a pinch-hitter, with Timlin likely taking over.

10:48 p.m. - Hawpe homers on a 3-2, thigh-high fastball to get the Rockies on the board. I imagine it's Timlin time now.

10:50 p.m. - Delcarmen still in, which I think is a mistake. He's been wild anyway, and he's especially likely to be shy around the strike zone after the homer. Torrealba up. Delcarmen falls behind 2-0 and gets lucky when a high fastball is called a strike. The next pitch is a fly to right for the first out of the seventh.

10:52 p.m. - The pinch-hitter for the pitch is Sullivan. Another high strike is called to start the at-bat. Sullivan singles past a diving Pedroia to bring the tying run to the plate. I don't think the Red Sox have handled this one well.

10:54 p.m. - Timlin in to replace Delcarmen, even though Matsui struggles against left-handed pitching. As suspected, Francona really didn't want to bring Okajima in before the eighth tonight. If Okajima hadn't pitched Saturday, he would have faced Sullivan there. He might have started the inning.

10:57 p.m. - Wouldn't be surprised to see Matsui drop one down here.

10:59 p.m. - No bunt. Matsui takes the first two pitches, the second for a strikes, and then swings and misses twice. Tulo up. He's really let the Rockies down so far, but he has a chance to come up big here.

11:01 p.m. - Tulo lays off the first pitch for the first time all night. Unfortunately, it's a strike. Timlin doesn't get the call on a 1-1 pitch and falls behind 3-1. Tulo has to be patient here with Holliday on deck. Fastball down the middle for a strike. Another fastball down the middle and this one gets fouled back. McCarver calls it a tentative swing and he's right. Another fastball is swung through. Another disappointing effort from Tulo. 3-1 after seven.

11:04 p.m. - There was a fine example of the narrow line between patient and tentative. Tulo needed to lay off anything on the corners once he got up 3-1. However, all three of those pitches he saw at that point were hittable fastballs. It's not like you have to be worried about unhittable sliders or curves with Timlin on the mound. Tulo needed to be ready to hit one of them and he simply wasn't.

11:07 p.m. - Fuentes in. Kielty comes off the bench and homers on the very first World Series pitch he sees. Wow.

11:08 p.m. - Kielty has one homer in 87 major league at-bats this year. He had received all of five postseason at-bats, the last coming 10 days ago. He was facing a guy with one of the funkiest motions in baseball. Yet he just his a homer on the very first pitch he saw. Impressive.

11:10 p.m. - Ellsbury follows with an infield single. Pedroia could bunt him to second.

11:14 p.m. - Pedroia can't get the bunt down and ends up grounding into the double play.

11:15 p.m. - FOX is mentioning that Ramirez was part of the A-Rod-to-Boston deal. What they've forgotten about is that Lester was also supposed to be moved. That seems especially relevant tonight.

11:18 p.m. - The deal was supposed to be Manny and Lester for A-Rod. The Red Sox were then going to trade Nomar Garciaparra and either Scott Williamson or Byung-Hyun Kim to the White Sox for Magglio Ordonez.

11:19 p.m. - Ortiz walks and gets replaced by Crisp on the basepaths. Crisp could stay in the game, replacing Manny, while Youkilis takes over at first base.

11:21 p.m. - Corpas, a non-factor in the Series to this point, is in to face Ramirez. He strikes out Manny to end the top of the eighth.

11:25 p.m. - Manny out for Crisp, with Ellsbury going to left. If the Red Sox blow this one, they'll do it with their best defense on the field. No Buckner over Stapleton.

11:26 p.m. - Okajima in. Gagne up alongside Papelbon in the pen. Hard to see Gagne getting in this one unless it goes extras.

11:27 p.m. - Holliday takes issue with the 2-1 pitch being called a strike. It wasn't terrible, but there have been a few that have gone against the Rockies over the last three innings. They're right to be frustrated. Holliday chases the 2-2 pitch and gets a piece, fouling it off. A grounder to second follows. Holliday is 0-for-4.

11:30 p.m. - I was concerned that Okajima might not have much left in the tank for this one, but he looks fine so far. An 89-mph fastball is a strike to Helton, as is a 75-mph curve. An 88-mph fastball is fouled off. Helton takes a funky swing at a high fastball and sneaks a grounder in between Lowell and Lugo for his second hit of the night.

11:33 p.m. - Atkins up. Okajima fails to get a call on a 1-1 pitch. The 2-1 isn't close. Papelbon could come in to face Spilborghs unless Okajima gets the out here. Two-run homer Atkins. There's some drama. Kielty's homer is looking huge right now.

11:36 p.m. - Papelbon in with five outs still needed. He threw 15 pitches Saturday and 16 on Thursday.

11:38 p.m. - Papelbon might yet build a case for MVP honors after all. If he gets the job done here, it'd be three saves, all of more than one inning, two in one-run games.

11:43 p.m. - Spilborghs up. Paps wants to know where the 0-1 pitch missed. Now Meriwether is annoying both teams. The 1-1 fastball is more borderline than the previous, yet it's a strike. Foul. Foul. All fastballs so far. Ball 2 on an outside fastball. Grounder to short for the second out of the inning.

11:45 p.m. - Hawpe up. First-pitch fastball for a called strike. Swing and a miss at a 95-mph heater. Outside fastball for ball one. Surprised Papelbon didn't climb the ladder there. Hawpe fouls off a good fastball to stay alive. Papelbon finally throws the splitter and Hawpe hits it pretty well, but it's a flyout to center. 4-3 after eight.

11:48 p.m. - A win tonight would give the Red Sox their seventh World Series championship, breaking a fourth-place tie with the Dodgers. Ahead of them are the Yankees (26), Cardinals (10) and A's (9).

11:50 p.m. - Lowell skies the 0-1 pitch to left for the first out of the top of the ninth.

11:52 p.m. - If this is the end of Drew's season, it's fitting that he's retired on a groundout to second. He must have led the league in those.

11:53 p.m. - Corpas' changeup has turned into quite a pitch. He seemed to be nothing but fastballs and sliders when he first came up in 2006, but his changeup has given him a big weapon agianst lefties. He uses it to get strke two on Varitek and then induces a slow roller to second for the third out. No insurance run for Boston.

11:56 p.m. - Torrealba, Carroll and the pitcher's spot due up for Colorado. If the Rockies were to hit for Carroll and then tie it up, they'd be reduced to using Jeff Baker at second in the 10th. I imagine he'll hit, though the Rockies are far more concerned about the ninth than the 10th at this point. Seth Smith should hit for the pitcher.

11:59 p.m. - Strike one on the outside corner (maybe). Torrealba tries to check his swing on an inside fastball, but he's not nearly in time and falls behind 0-2. Varitek sets up high and Papelbon throws a fastball at the knees. Fortunately for the Red Sox, it's grounded to second for the first out. Carroll will hit.

12:01 p.m. - Smith on deck for the pitcher's spot. Strike one on a fastball down the middle. Carroll goes after a fastball that looked low and fouled it off. Carroll rips the 0-2 pitch to the wall in left, but Ellsbury makes a jumping catch at the wall. Not sure Manny would have had that. Smith is Colorado's last hope.

12:04 p.m. - Smith fouls off a first-pitch fastball. Paps' second splitter of the night goes for a ball. The third pitch is a fastball that bounces two feet in front of the plate. Maybe Papelbon isn't completely unflappable after all. Another splitter, this one is fouled off. Rockies down to their last strike. Time for some high heat. That's what it is. Smith swings and misses, ending the World Series.

12:20 p.m. - Lowell MVP. The voting was being done before the game was over, hurting Papelbon's chances. Just like it 2004, it wasn't an easy choice. I thought Foulke should have won then. Lowell seems like the best choice this time, though. Honorable mentions for Ellsbury and Pedroia. Pretty much everyone on the team had a good series. The Rockies shouldn't feel too bad, and they can look back on this year with fond memories. There simply wasn't a team in baseball that would have beaten the Red Sox with the way they've played over their last seven games.