JUPITER, Fla. • With the usual caveats always attached to such pronouncements this early in camp, Cardinals manager Mike Matheny confirmed the obvious: Adam Wainwright will start opening day against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on April 3.

The start will be Wainwright's fourth consecutive opening day game and the fifth of his career with the Cardinals.

That puts him with some heady company.

Chris Carpenter was the last Cardinals starter to have five opening day games in his career, and Bob Gibson was the last Cardinals pitcher to start four consecutive opening days. They are also the only two Cardinals in club history to win Cy Young Awards.

"I'd say it's pretty likely," Matheny said. "He's our guy. No doubt about it. We have to see how spring goes. Any setbacks, anything that takes us off normal course, but this guy is the leader of our staff. He means so much to our club in a lot of regards. He leads well. Let's just watch how it goes."

Matheny said being the ace "usually entails getting that first game."