ST. LOUIS – With some help from a soggy field and two big hits by little David Eckstein, the St. Louis Cardinals took control of the World Series with a wild comeback win.

Eckstein’s tiebreaking double glanced off the glove of a diving Craig Monroe in left field in the eighth inning, and the Cardinals capitalized on Detroit’s sloppy defense for a 5-4 victory Thursday night in Game 4.

After Curtis Granderson slipped in center field on a key play trying for another ball hit by Eckstein, rekindling memories of Curt Flood in the 1968 Series between these teams, St. Louis took a 3-1 lead to move within one win of its first championship in 24 years.

Jeff Weaver can wrap it up Friday night at Busch Stadium when he pitches against rookie Justin Verlander. Each lost his first start in this Series.

One word of caution, Cardinals fans: St. Louis had a 3-1 lead in ’68, too, before Detroit rallied to win behind lefty Mickey Lolich.

The decisive hit that time came when Flood, a Gold Glove center fielder, slipped on Jim Northrup’s two-out, two-run triple off Cardinals ace Bob Gibson to break a scoreless tie in the seventh inning of Game 7 – right across the street, where the old Busch Stadium stood.

This time, Eckstein hit three doubles and a single as St. Louis overcame an early 3-0 deficit.

After a rainout Wednesday night, only the second World Series washout in 20 years, showers were expected again Thursday.

But the heavy stuff stayed away on a 53-degree night and much of the back-and-forth game was played in a light mist that obscured the Gateway Arch beyond center field.

The mist got heavier in the sixth, however, and the Tigers began to struggle with the elements.

With St. Louis trailing 3-2 in the seventh, Eckstein hit a drive to right-center that Granderson appeared to have in his sights before he slipped to the slick turf, kicking up a huge divot.

The ball fell for an easy double.

Pinch-hitter So Taguchi dropped down a sacrifice bunt, and reliever Fernando Rodney threw the ball way over the head of Placido Polanco covering at first base, allowing Eckstein to score the tying run.

It was the fourth error by a Tigers pitcher in four games, a record for one pitching staff in the World Series.