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  Wednesday, Apr. 5 7:10pm ET
Williams puts the freeze on Mets' bats
 
  RECAP | BOX SCORE | GAME LOG

NEW YORK (AP) -- On a chilly evening, Woody Williams kept New York Mets hitters in a deep freeze.

Williams pitched six scoreless innings and the San Diego Padres, minus injured Tony Gwynn, beat New York 4-0 Wednesday night for their first win of the season.

"I woke up this morning and got out there to eat lunch and couldn't believe how cold it was," Williams said.

It was 41 degrees and windy at gametime, but Williams had no trouble with the conditions or the Mets. Williams (1-0) and relievers Carlos Almanzar and Trevor Hoffman shut down a team that is hitting only .185 after four games. Bobby Jones (0-1) struggled in his first start since last May 22, lasting just 2 2/3 innings and getting booed when left trailing by four runs. He gave up six hits, several of them bloops and chops.

"I felt like I made a lot of good pitches," he said. "Some of those good pitches they put in play. But it wasn't like they were hitting balls into the gap all day."

Gwynn sat out with a bruised right elbow, having been hit by a pitch from Al Leiter in Monday's opener. X-rays were negative, and the eight-time NL batting champion could be back in a day or two.

Bret Boone hit an RBI double to key a three-run second inning and drew a bases-loaded walk in the third that finished Jones. The Padres' new second baseman also singled.

Williams worked around five hits and three walks. He struck out six.

After ending 1999 with a career-high five straight wins, Williams won in his 200th major league appearance. He escaped a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the fourth by getting Rey Ordonez on a popup, striking out pinch-hitter Jon Nunnally and retiring Rickey Henderson on a grounder.

"I was able to spot my fastball. It helps when you don't have to throw it down the middle," he said.

Williams' biggest problem was a bit of tightness in the back of his left leg, which came when he ran out a double-play grounder in the second inning.

"After the third inning, we were a little concerned," manager Bruce Bochy said.

Almanzar pitched two innings and Hoffman worked the ninth.

Jones, who missed most of last season because of bursitis and a strained right shoulder, breezed through the first inning. But a leadoff walk to Phil Nevin in the second set up RBI doubles by Boone and Ruben Rivera, plus a run-scoring single by Carlos Hernandez.

Jones gave up three singles in the third and, after throwing two strikes to Boone, walked him to force home a run.

That was all for Jones, a soft tosser who won 58 games for New York from 1994-98. He was limited to a 3-3 mark last year and had a 5.85 ERA in spring training.

"He threw the ball great, I thought. They really didn't hit him hard," Mets manager Bobby Valentine said. "Maybe he was not good enough for tonight, but maybe he was good enough on another night."

Jones' health, however, prompted the Mets to re-examine their pitching plans in the winter. Among the moves they made was a trade to get lefty Bobby Jones from Colorado.

Game notes
Todd Zeile, taking over for John Olerud at first base this season, made his second error of the year. The Mets infield, which made only 33 errors last year, already has four after four games. ... The Padres avoided their first 0-2 start since 1994. ... Henderson wore a hooded sweatshirt to combat the cold. Eric Owens, subbing for Gwynn in right field, was the only player wearing short sleeves at the start. He changed into long sleeves by the fifth inning.
 


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Sigh of relief for Padres: X-rays reveal no broken elbow for Gwynn


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