On big stage, he's huge

ST. LOUIS -- He might be the smallest man on the baseball field, but David Eckstein plays large. Last night he played like Godzilla.

By going 4 for 5 and driving in the winning run in the Cardinals' 5-4 win to take a 3-1 lead in the World Series, Eckstein made the Tigers feel small.

There was an infield hit in the first, then an RBI double in the third. His double in the seventh proved key. Tigers center fielder Curtis Granderson slipped, and by the time he recovered, the ball was over his head. Eckstein then scored on a throwing error to make it 3-3. In the eighth, with two on and two outs against the Tigers' hardest thrower, Joel Zumaya, Eckstein stroked a double to left-center just off the glove of a diving Craig Monroe, scoring Aaron Miles with the winning run.

The former Red Sox farmhand even fielded the final ground ball at shortstop.

Eckstein not only ignited the Cardinals' offense but set it on fire, and sent his team into tonight's potential series clincher at Busch Stadium.

"The important thing is that we approach every game from here on out just like we have with the games to this point," said Eckstein, who stands 5 feet 7 inches, 165 pounds. "We can't start thinking that we have this wrapped up, and I know our guys won't do that. We're a veteran team which really understands the moment. We haven't given up all season. We know we have to fight for everything we get and this is no exception to that."

The eighth-inning matchup could have been overwhelming. Zumaya throws his fastball more than 100 miles per hour.

"The key with a guy like Zumaya is not to overswing," Eckstein said. "He generates enough power with his fastball. What you have to make sure you do is get your bat on the ball. It really is that simple. It's hard enough looking at 100-m.p.h. fastballs. You don't want to swing through them."

Bob Geren, the former Sox minor league manager and a candidate for the Oakland A's managerial job, once said of Eckstein, "If we had 25 guys like that, then I'd be out of a job."

But that didn't prevent the Sox from dropping him from their 40-man roster Aug. 16, 2000. The Angels quickly scooped him up.

"He's the definition of clutch player," said Cardinals manager Tony La Russa. "He's up there against a guy who throws 100 m.p.h. and he comes through. He's the toughest guy I've ever seen in a uniform."

La Russa also pointed to Eckstein as one of the key players who returned from injury to help the Cardinals jell. He had gone on the disabled list Aug. 22 with a left oblique strain and didn't return until Sept. 16.

"This is the biggest stage I've ever been in so to be able to contribute in those situations was huge," Eckstein said. "I was just trying to get the barrel of the bat on the ball and keep a ball in play.

"In the seventh inning, I just tried to drive the ball and hope it caught some grass. I just remember one of my former teammates, Darin Erstad, making that very catch in Yankee Stadium one time. So I'm fortunate it was able to fall in to some open space."