FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) _ The New York Mets bumbled their way through eight innings, then scored two unearned runs in the ninth inning to defeat the Baltimore Orioles 5-4 Tuesday night.

Mike Hampton allowed one earned run and two hits in four innings for the Mets, who made four errors and yielded two unearned runs.

Down 4-3 in the ninth, New York loaded the bases with one out before Baltimore third baseman Jesse Garcia let a grounder by Alex Escobar slip under his glove, allowing two runs to score.

Hampton did not walk a batter and struck out one in his second spring start. It was a vast improvement over his debut with the Mets, when he allowed four earned runs in two innings Friday in a 5-2 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals.

Hampton, obtained in a trade with Houston Astros, was 22-4 last season and is the Mets' No. 1 starter this season.

The Orioles, who had 53 hits in their first four games, managed only six.

Baltimore broke on top 2-0 in the first. First, Albert Belle got an RBI when third baseman Shane Halter had a potential double-play grounder go through his legs. Jeff Conine then reached when shortstop Rey Ordonez flipped the ball wildly to second in an attempt to start a double play, and Cal Ripken followed with a run-scoring grounder.

The Mets tied it in the second when Joe Nunnally homered and Todd Pratt hit a two-out RBI single. Baltimore regained the lead when center fielder Jay Payton fumbled a single by Garcia, allowing Charles Johnson to score in the fifth.

An error by New York backup shortstop Domingo Cedeno gave Baltimore a 4-2 lead in the seventh.

Country singer Garth Brooks did not make the trip with the Mets. He has not played since fouling a ball off his foot Saturday.