27 up, 27 down - Williams pitches two-hitter

SAN DIEGO -- Woody Williams threw six perfect innings against his former Padres teammates two nights after rookie Bud Smith pitched a no-hitter, and the St. Louis Cardinals beat San Diego 2-0 Wednesday night for a three-game sweep.

Williams didn't allow a runner until rookie D'Angelo Jimenez lofted a fly ball into the left-center gap that fell in for a single on the first pitch of the seventh. Jimenez tried to stretch it into a double and was thrown out by 10 feet by center fielder Jim Edmonds.

Williams (12-9), traded by the Padres to the Cardinals on Aug. 2 for outfielder Ray Lankford, pitched a career-best two-hitter and faced the minimum 27 batters.

The right-hander struck out six and walked none in his second career shutout and eighth complete game.

Williams, who gave up a single in the ninth to Ben Davis, also threw a complete game in his last start, winning 5-1 at Los Angeles on Friday.

On Monday night, Smith no-hit the Padres in a 4-0 win, the second time this season the Padres have been held hitless.

The Padres had just nine hits and one run in the three-game series.

Mark McGwire and rookie Albert Pujols homered for the Cardinals.

On Sunday night, the New York Yankees' Mike Mussina came within one strike of the 15th perfect game in modern history.

No team has ever been no-hit three times in one year.

On May 12, Florida's A.J. Burnett no-hit the Padres despite walking a record nine.

Two weeks after Burnett's no-no, Arizona's Curt Schilling was perfect through 7 1-3 innings before Davis bunted for a single.

Altogether, the Padres have been held hitless through seven innings four times this year, and eight times through five.

Williams was traded for Lankford and more than $2.8 million.