Cards eager to get home after rocky road trip

CINCINNATI -- Home is where the heart is.

It's where the more comfortable beds are, and where players' families reside.

It's also where the Cardinals -- and most teams -- tend to perform better.

Following Sunday's matinee, the Cardinals will return to the Gateway City for a much-welcomed 10-game homestand. After playing 11 games in 10 days in three cities -- and losing eight of the first 10 contests -- it's safe to say the Cardinals are eager to get home.

"We're not looking past today," manager Mike Matheny said Sunday morning, "but we're anxious to get home."

St. Louis boasts a 32-17 record at Busch Stadium and a 32-28 mark in road games. The Cardinals are one of only three National League clubs with a winning record on the road. After Sunday's affair in Cincinnati, the Cardinals will play 32 of their remaining 52 games at home.

"We enjoy being home," Matheny said. "I don't think we necessarily play any better at home than we do on the road, as far as caliber of play. But there's no doubt that there's an advantage to having guys around their families, sleeping in their own beds and not having a trip like this."