ST. LOUIS (Ticker) -- Mark Mulder followed Chris Carpenter 's blueprint to the letter.

Mulder carried a shutout into the seventh inning and the St. Louis Cardinals manufactured four early runs en route to a 6-2 victory over the San Diego Padres and a commanding two games to none lead in the National League Division Series.

Two days after Carpenter pitched six scoreless innings and induced three double plays in the defending NL champion Cardinals' 8-5 win in the opener, Mulder did much the same Thursday.

The lefthander, who like Carpenter missed the 2004 postseason because of shoulder problems, got three double plays and kept the Padres off the scoreboard until allowing three consecutive hits to open the seventh that cut the Cardinals' lead to 4-1.

"I like using my defense. I don't mind giving up a hit," Mulder said. The double plays were huge for us. It's part of my game. One of my strengths."

But Mulder got his fourth double play, then left after hitting Damian Jackson . Julian Tavarez entered and got pinch hitter Ryan Klesko to fly out, stranding runners at the corners.

"The one player who doesn't get much credit is (coach) Jose Oquendo ," Cardinals shortstop David Eckstein . "He works with us every day to get better. Grudzielanek turns one of the quickest double plays in the game. It's really a lot of fun and credit Mulder for getting the ground balls.

Mulder (1-0) yielded eight hits and a walk in 6 2/3 innings. He struck out two and recorded 17 ground-ball outs.

As it did Tuesday, the bullpen made it interesting before closer Jason Isringhausen pitched a perfect ninth. Tavarez yielded a run in the eighth and departed with the bases loaded. Lefthander Ron Flores struck out pinch hitter Mark Sweeney to end the threat.

"We had already used our two righthanded pinch hitters," San Diego manager Bruce Bochy said. "It was a tough spot for Sweeney, but he had a good at-bat against Flores earlier this season."

In Game One, the bullpen followed Carpenter by surrendering five runs in three innings. The Padres had the bases loaded in the ninth before Isringhausen struck out Ramon Hernandez to end it.

Prior to the seventh, the only trouble Mulder had was in the second, when San Diego loaded the bases on a walk, single off the former Oakland Athletic's left biceps and a hit batsman. But Mulder struck out Ben Johnson and retired counterpart Pedro Astacio on a comebacker.

"It (the biceps) got tighter each inning, but once the inning started, the adrenaline got me going," Mulder said. "It's pretty sore, but just a bruise. I have a lump the size of a golf ball. It really didn't affect me. I didn't want to come out because I was still making good pitches."

St. Louis scored two runs in the third without a hit off Astacio and added two more in the next frame to provide some breathing room for Mulder.

Abraham Nunez led off the third with a walk, Yadier Molina reached on an error by Padres shortstop Khalil Greene and Mulder sacrificed. David Eckstein hit a one-hopper to first baseman Xavier Nady , who made a backhanded diving stop but a late throw home.

Astacio walked Jim Edmonds on four pitches to load the bases and Albert Pujols on five to force home another run.

After a single by Mark Grudzielanek and a ground-rule double by Nunez put runners on second and third to open the fourth, Molina hit another one-hop smash to Nady. The first baseman's throw beat Grudzielanek, who scored anyway as he slide around catcher Ramon Hernandez , who did not block the plate.

"Those were big runs," Bochy said. "The balls were hit at first base, we had a chance to cut off those runs. They were bang-bang plays. They hurt."

Eckstein followed with a squeeze play, plating Molina for a 4-0 lead. It was the 14th successful squeeze in 17 attempts by St. Louis this season.

"I know that its (squeeze play) going to be on at some time," Eckstein said. "I love it, it's one of our my favorite plays. (St. Louis manager Tony La Russa ) has the knack of picking the right pitches and putting us in a position to succeed."

Game One hero Reggie Sanders added a two-run double in the seventh for the Cardinals, who can complete a sweep in Game Three at San Diego on Saturday.

"We have everyone contributing," Sanders said. "We are playing good baseball, fundamental baseball. We have to stay within ourselves and capitalize when we get the chance."

In his first postseason start, Astacio (0-1) allowed four runs - two earned - and three hits in four innings. He walked three and struck out four.

The righthander has struggled since having shoulder surgery in June 2003 and was released by Texas this June after losing eight of 10 decisions. Astacio rebounded with San Diego, winning his last four decisions and posting a 1.89 ERA in September.