Mike Hampton struggles with his control in Game 2 on Sunday night, walking five in six innings. (AP)

While Clemens (8 innings, 2 hits, 0 runs) was at his Rocket best, Hampton labored the entire night.

The ace lefty, who was MVP of the NLCS by pitching 16 scoreless innings against the Cardinals, got into trouble early against the Yankees.

After getting the first two hitters out, he walked David Justice and Bernie Williams before giving up RBI hits to Tino Martinez and Jorge Posada. He was so off that Rick White was warming up in the bullpen for the Mets in the first.

This was no tone to be setting on a night the Mets -- coming off a crushing Game 1 loss -- badly needed a strong effort from Hampton.

"I did it to myself," said Hampton. "I got in a hole 2-0 in the first inning. You know it's going to be tough. He's a great pitcher. He was on his game tonight and I put us in a hole. All I can do is try and pitch better each inning and try and hold them from there."

But he then got taken deep by Scott Brosius leading off the second and he had thrown a whopping 76 pitches by the end of the third inning.

On a night Mets hitters were struggling to get good swings off Clemens, standing in the field for minutes on end watching Hampton's pitches go all over the place wasn't exactly conducive to a comeback.

He ended up pitching six innings, throwing 124 pitches, allowing eight hits and walking five.

"Sometimes you're in the zone, sometimes you aren't," said Hampton. "I walked some guys, but I don't really give a (expletive) to be honest with you. I just want to win."

But that wasn't happening on a night Hampton was rather un-ace-like.

"I was behind in the count early and they had some quality at bats and some timely hits," said Hampton. "When the team is doing that, it's going to make it tough."

The way Clemens was pitching for the Yankees, Hampton didn't just make it tough for the Mets, he made it nearly impossible.

So the Mets came into this series feeling good about themselves because they could throw Al Leiter in Game 1 and Hampton in Game 2. Lefties at Yankee Stadium are supposed to be tough.

But now the Mets go back to Shea down 2-0, although Leiter would have had a win if not for Armando Benitez's blown save in Game 1.

Whether Hampton pitches again this season -- he's slated to start Game 6, if necessary -- will depend largely on how Rick Reed and Bobby Jones fare at Shea.

"All I can do is hope for another opportunity," said Hampton. "But my fate basically rests in the rest of the team's hands right now."

That wasn't how it was supposed to be.