They lead the majors in homers. Their starting rotation is one of the NL’s best. So far, the defending World Series champion Cardinals don’t seem to miss Albert Pujols all that much.

Carlos Beltran and David Freese homered again on Tuesday night, and Kyle Lohse provided another stingy performance, leading St. Louis to a 3-1 victory over the Cincinnati Reds.

The Cardinals are off to a 5-1 start for the first time since 2008, playing like champions in the season’s first week. No letup at all.

“If those guys keep doing that, we’re going to have a pretty good club,” first-year manager Mike Matheny said.

Beltran, counted on to help make up for the loss of Pujols, hit his third homer off Mike Leake (0-1). Freese, the World Series MVP, added a two-run shot off Leake — also his third.

St. Louis came into the game leading the majors with nine homers. It has five in its first two games at Great American Ball Park, which is one of the majors’ most homer-friendly places.

But it’s the pitching that’s getting the most plaudits.

Lohse (2-0) has made impressive starts in Florida’s summery warmth and Cincinnati’s April chill. He took a no-hitter into the eighth inning of a 4-1 win in Miami last Wednesday, allowing only one run and two hits.

With temperatures in the 40s on Tuesday night, he was in control again, allowing Joey Votto’s sacrifice fly and four hits in six innings. Lohse took a little while to adjust to the vastly different conditions in his second start.

“It’s tough,” Lohse said. “You’re not going to get the same feel of the ball. You get a feel for what the ball is going to do. It was cold and a little windy.”

Mitchell Boggs and Jason Motte retired the last nine batters in order, with Motte getting his second save in two chances.

The Cardinals rotation has been sensational so far, going 5-1 with a 1.86 ERA.

“Thank you!” Freese said. “It’s unbelievable. We’re going to win a ton of games when our starters are doing that.”

The Reds handed out another big contract before the game, giving second baseman Brandon Phillips a deal through 2017 worth $72.5 million. It came only five days after Votto got an additional 10 years and $225 million, looking to turn the 2010 NL Central champions into a consistent contender.

Phillips got a cramp in his left hamstring during a 7-1 loss to the Cardinals on Monday night and is expected to miss several days.

For the second game in a row, the Cardinals got to a Reds starter before he could break a sweat. They hit three homers in the first inning off Homer Bailey on Monday night.

Beltran hit Leake’s fifth pitch into the stands in right field. Leake escaped another big Cardinals first inning by getting Yadier Molina to ground into a double play with the bases loaded. Molina also grounded into a double play with two runners aboard in the eighth.

Lance Berkman, who has the most homers by a visiting player at Great American, tripled into the right-field corner in the sixth. Freese followed with his third homer, a drive that bounced off the top of the wall in right field and caromed up into the stands.

Leake thinks the Cardinals are just as formidable without Pujols, who left as a free agent for the Angels after the World Series championship.

“It’s still a difficult lineup,” Leake said. “They lost a big name, but they’re still a threat.”

Berkman left the game in the eighth with tightness in his left calf, which started bothering him after he ran out his triple.

Zack Cozart hit his second triple of the season in the bottom of the inning and scored on Votto’s sacrifice fly, making it 3-1.

— Associated Press —

With Albert Pujols gone, the St. Louis Cardinals see themselves as less of a power-driven team defending their World Series championship.

Could’ve fooled Homer Bailey.

Matt Holliday, David Freese and Yadier Molina homered off the Reds starter during the St. Louis Cardinals’ biggest first inning of the season, and Jake Westbrook found his control after a rough start, beating Cincinnati 7-1 on Monday night.

The Cardinals improved to 4-1 with an offense that hasn’t missed Pujols so far. They’ve piled up three homers in an inning twice already this season, with nine overall.

And they’ve done it without really trying.

“I don’t see us as very much of a home run-hitting team,” Freese said.

Manager Mike Matheny sees the homer spurt as more of a good start than the start of a trend.

“That’s a tough pace to keep up, but you take ’em when you can get ’em,” Matheny said. “Guys are having some good at-bats.”

Only 20 pitches into the game, Bailey (0-1) had his hands on his hips and a 4-0 deficit that the Reds couldn’t overcome. Molina broke the game open with a two-run double in the eighth inning.

Westbrook (1-0) overcame an early bout of wildness, allowing only three hits and one unearned run in seven innings. The right-hander slimmed down in the offseason and had an impressive spring training, getting the sink back on his fastball.

Both starters had a rough time early on a windy, 64-degree evening. Matheny said the Cardinals batting-practice pitchers had trouble getting a grip on the ball in the crisp conditions.

“I know exactly what was going on with him early,” Matheny said. “That’s the first time we’ve had that really dry air. The ball felt like it has Vaseline on it. He couldn’t grip it.”

Westbrook was pitching for the first time in nine days. Ten of his first 12 pitches were out of the strike zone. He walked four of the first 10 batters he faced, but didn’t allow a hit until Brandon Phillips singled with two outs in the fifth.

Phillips came around to score when Zack Cozart hit a comebacker that Westbrook knocked down with his glove. Westbrook retrieved the ball, but threw wildly toward first base for an error that allowed Phillips to score.

The All-Star second baseman got a cramp in his left hamstring as he scored and left the game as a precaution.

Westbrook got a better feel for his pitches after the second inning.

“It took me a little while to get going,” he said. “Once I figured it out, I pitched the way I’m capable of throwing. I just zoned it in.”

Bailey retired the first two Cardinals, then came apart. Holliday homered, Lance Berkman walked and Freese homered. Molina also homered on the next pitch, prompting Bailey to stand by the side of the mound with both hands scrunched on his hips in disbelief.

Freese, the World Series MVP, has hit safely in every game this season.

“I just got a little passive,” Bailey said. “I got the two quick outs and I didn’t say aggressive. Once you open that can of worms, it’s kind of hard to shut it. Plus the wind was blowing out. After that, I just wanted to go deep into the game. A couple of the balls they hit out were hit really solid.”

After the bad opening inning, Bailey settled in and allowed only two more hits while pitching into the sixth inning. Molina broke the game open with his double off Jose Arredondo in the eighth, which brought boos from the crowd of 16,909 that remembers his role in a brawl with Phillips two years ago.

Berkman wasn’t in the Cardinals’ original lineup because of a sore right hand. He took a few swings pregame and felt fine, getting back in the lineup at first base. He singled, struck out twice and walked twice.

The Cardinals wanted Berkman in the lineup — he has 23 homers at Great American Ball Park, the most by a visiting player.

— Associated Press —