ST. LOUIS -- Michael Morse rewarded his manager for giving him a rare day off. Morse homered and drove in three runs and Pablo Sandoval homered and scored twice to propel the San Francisco Giants to a 6-5 win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday night in the opener of a four-game series. "It looked like the day off served him well," said manager Bruce Bochy, who sat Morse for the first time this season Wednesday against the Chicago Cubs. "A home run and that big hit off of one of the more dominant closers in the game with the power arm that he has." The Giants, at the start of a seven-game trip to St. Louis and Cincinnati, have won seven of eight. The Cardinals have dropped three of four to start their nine-game home stand. Gregor Blanco scored from second on Angel Pagans single to centre to tie the score at 4-all in the eighth. Third base coach Tim Flannery initially held Blanco at third because of centre fielder Peter Bourjos strong arm. But Blanco scored when the throw bounced on the home plate side of the mound and past three Cardinals, including Carlos Martinez (0-3), who was in front of catcher Yadier Molina rather than backing up the throw. Pagan moved up to second on the throw. Trevor Rosenthal came in after Martinez intentionally walked Sandoval, but Morse doubled just past a diving Bourjos to drive in Pagan and Sandoval and give the Giants a 6-4 lead. "I knew he was going to come with something hard," Morse said. "I just tried to be short. I just tried to touch something." Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said Martinez stopped when he saw Blanco stayed at third. He stabbed at the throw from Bourjos, keeping Molina from making the catch and allowing the ball to go to the screen. "Yaddy never was able to see the ball," Matheny said. "As soon as that balls hit, they all know, theyve got to get behind the catcher. He was in the wrong spot and it ended up hurting." Javier Lopez (1-0) got two groundouts in relief of Ryan Vogelsong for his first win since Sept. 22, 2013, at the New York Yankees. Sergio Romo gave up a run on Matt Carpenters two-out single, but held on for his 17th save in 19 chances. Romo has surrendered four runs in the past three games and had his ERA rise to 3.52. Morse, in his first season with the Giants, has nine hits in his past 16 at-bats, with five doubles, a triple and the home run. Hes driven in eight during that five-game span and has a team-high 37 RBIs for the year. "Were just playing," he said. "The mentality we have and the fun were having, I think winning is contagious and we love to win. Were just going to keep going at it." Vogelsong allowed four runs on seven hits and three walks while striking out five in 6 1-3 innings. Sandovals eighth homer of the season tied the score at 3-3 in the sixth inning. The third baseman has an RBI in each of the past nine games. Hes the first Giant to do that since Barry Bonds in 2000. Cardinals starter Jaime Garcia went seven innings, giving up three runs on five hits. He struck out seven and has yet to issue a walk this season. He was in line for the victory after Allen Craig hit his sixth homer of the season and second in three games off Vogelsong in the bottom of the sixth. "We definitely had a bead on that game," Craig said. "It felt like we were going to win it, but thats baseball. We didnt make enough plays." Vogelsong got into trouble in the fourth when the Cardinals loaded the bases with none out on Matt Hollidays single and consecutive walks to Craig and Molina. Jhonny Peralta, batting .111 (5 of 45) with runners in scoring position, grounded into a double play, plating Holliday. John Jay drove in Craig with a single to give St. Louis a 3-2 lead. Morse tied the score at 1-1 with his ninth homer of the season, a 442-foot blast to left centre to lead off the second. Brandon Hicks scored on Blancos single to give the Giants a 2-1 lead. St. Louis snapped Vogelsongs scoreless streak at 13 2-3 innings with a run in the first. Craigs ground-rule double brought home Carpenter, who singled to lead off and stole second with two outs. NOTES: Carpenters first-inning single extended his NL-best hitting streak to 11 games. ... The Giants improved to 9-14 when their opponents score first. ... Holliday has reached base safely in all 25 home games. . San Francisco C Buster Posey didnt play because of an ongoing back issue. Bochy said he is day to day. ... St. Louis 1B Matt Adams sat for the second consecutive night with a stiff left calf, though he was available as a pinch hitter. . The Cardinals entered the game without a home run off Vogelsong in 68 at-bats, and all but three of their 24 hits were for singles. The Giants had just one homer off Garcia in 66 at-bats, but seven of their 19 hits went for extra bases. . Cardinals prospect Tim Cooney had a no-hitter broken up with two outs in ninth Thursday for Triple-A Memphis. He settled for one-hitter. . St. Louis is set to start Adam Wainwright (8-2, 1.67) against San Franciscos Madison Bumgarner (6-3, 3.15) on Friday night. Kyler Murray Jersey .com) - The game was all punts and field goals before Kodi Whitfields catch. Kurt Warner Womens Jersey . The top-ranked Djokovic also beat Gael Monfils and then routed Roger Federer en route to his first Abu Dhabi title. "Its always great to win a title. This is the best way to start the 2012 season," Djokovic said. http://www.thecardinalsshoponline.com/kyler-murray-cardinals-jersey-yp/ . The defeat leaves the 41-year-old Nestor to concentrate on the mixed-doubles event after winning 12 straight matches and winning Australian titles in Brisbane and Sydney with two different partners. "This was a little bit of a let down, but all credit to them," said Nestor. Byron Murphy Youth Jersey .com) - The NBA will be on display overseas Thursday with the New York Knicks taking on the Milwaukee Bucks at O2 Arena in London. Pat Tillman Jersey . Miralem Pjanic dribbled through the defence to score an extraordinary goal in the 43rd minute at the Stadio Olimpico and Gervinho added another from a rebound in the 65th for Romas ninth straight victory — ending Milans five-match winning streak.WASHINGTON - Washington Redskins owner Dan Snyder says its time to put some money behind his claim that his teams nickname honours Native Americans. Snyder said Monday hes creating a foundation to assist American Indian tribes, even as some in that community continue to assert that the name "Redskins" is offensive. "Its not enough to celebrate the values and heritage of Native Americans," Snyder said in a letter to the teams fans. "We must do more." The letter states the Washington Redskins Original Americans Foundation will "provide meaningful and measurable resources that provide genuine opportunities" for Native Americans. The announcement did not state whether Snyder will personally donate any money to the foundation and gave no other financial details. A major opponent of the nickname said Snyders move was "somewhere between a PR assault and bribery." Suzan Shown Harjo, a lead figure in a long-running case that seeks to strip the Redskins of their federal trademark protection, told The Associated Press that Snyder is showing the "same arrogance" that hes shown previously when defending the nickname. "Im glad that hes had a realization that Native Americans have it tough in the United States," Harjo said. "All sorts of people could have told him that, and have been trying to tell him that for a long time." Snyder again gave no indication he plans tto change the teams name.dddddddddddd. He said he believes "even more firmly" the name "captures the best of who we are and who we can be, by staying true to our history and honouring the deep and enduring values our name represents." Snyder has come under unprecedented pressure to change the name over the last year. President Barack Obama told the AP in October he would consider changing the name if he owned the team. Harjo said the refusal to budge on the name will offset, at least in part, the good that is done with the foundations money. "Will (the foundation) do much of anything? No. But it probably wont hurt," Harjo said, "except that it will continue the cycle of negative imaging of Native American people in the public arena." In the letter, Snyder said he and his staff visited 26 reservations over the last four months. He listed poverty, illness, drug abuse, violence and lack of basic infrastructure as among the problems faced by Native Americans. "Ive listened. Ive learned. And frankly, its heart wrenching," the letter said. Harjo wondered why Snyder, who has owned the team since 1999, is only just now reaching out to Native Americans. "Its sort of an admission that he was losing the PR battle," she said. "So now hes gone out to find the real story — as if someone was hiding the real story about pressing needs in Indian country." ' ' '