JUPITER, Fla. (AP) _ Darryl Kile's first spring outing was reminiscent of his dominant 1997 season with the Astros and not the two disastrous years in Colorado that followed.

Kile threw two hitless innings in the St. Louis Cardinals' spring opener Friday, a 5-2 victory over the New York Mets. The Mets hit only one ball hard off Kile, who was 8-13 with a 6.61 ERA last year, and that was a lineout to first by Darryl Hamilton to end the first.

Kile, who won 19 games with the Astros in 1997 before signing as a free agent with the Rockies, said he wasn't thinking about his escape from Coors Field.

``That never even really crossed my mind,'' Kile said. ``I'm part of this team and I'm going to do what I have to do to help this team win. That's what spring training is all about.''

The conditions were ideal for the opener _ 81 degrees, no wind _ and all of Kile's pitches were working. He said his curveball was ahead of schedule.

``I'm just trying to work on my rhythm and release point,'' Kile said. ``Anything above and beyond that is a bonus.''

New Mets ace Mike Hampton had a rough outing. Hampton, who was 22-4 last year for the Astros, also worked two innings and allowed four runs on five hits.

``My location was bad,'' Hampton said. ``That's normal for everybody this time of year. This is typical, about where I was at this time last year.''

All of the Cardinals' big hits off Hampton went to the opposite field. Fernando Tatis had a two-out RBI single in the first. In the second, Mark McGwire had an RBI single to right and Ray Lankford got a two-run double when left fielder Jay Payton missed a shoetop catch.

McGwire played two innings, and also took a called third strike in the first. The spring opener was no special occasion for him.

``Not these games,'' McGwire said. ``I don't have butterflies down here.''

Fernando Vina, the Cardinals' new leadoff hitter, singled and scored each of his first two at-bats. Edgar Renteria also homered in the sixth off Bobby Jones.

Melvin Mora had an RBI single in the third off Garrett Stephenson for the Mets. Mike Kinkade had a run-scoring groundout in the ninth off Mike Mohler.

Country singer Garth Brooks, in camp with the Mets, struck out on four pitches against Jim Dougherty in a pinch-hit appearance in the eighth.