The Cardinals bats woke up in San Francisco, pounding Giants starter Matt Cain with nine runs in the fourth inning. The Cardinals cruised to 14-3 win to finish the opening road trip 3-3. Cain was the first Giants pitcher to give up that many runs in a single inning since John Cronin in September of 1902.

The forecast calls for isolated thunderstorms (30% chance) come 3 p.m. today for the home opener as the Cardinals host the Cincinnati Reds.

“Opening Day in St. Louis is different than anywhere else. There’s no question about it,” Matheny said after Sunday’s game. “I think that’s pretty universal; people agree with that.”

Jaime Garcia will start opposite Mat Latos of the Reds. The Cardinals should also have David Freese back in the lineup, who could be activated from the 15-day disabled list. Freese played nine innings at third base yesterday with AAA Memphis, going 3-for-5 with a double, two RBIs and a run scored.