NEW YORK (AP) -- Kris Benson wouldn't lie. Pitching against the

New York Mets on Saturday night was special. Hitting the first home

run of his life made it even better.

Benson celebrated his return to Shea Stadium throwing eight

effective innings and retiring the last 15 batters he faced in the

Baltimore Orioles' 4-2 victory over the Mets, the team that traded

him away last January after he pleaded to stay in New York.

"It's great to come back and pitch well against the last team

you played for, especially with all the stuff going on," Benson

said.

He had suspected the Mets would be contending for a championship

this season and wanted to be part of that effort. New York had

other ideas, dealing him to the Orioles for pitchers Jorge Julio

and John Maine. Julio has since moved on to Arizona and Maine spent

six weeks on the disabled list.

"It was a baseball trade," Benson said, shrugging off the

deal. "I'm having a great time in Baltimore and I'm still in

baseball."

Still there was special satisfaction, especially with his

third-inning home run, the first of his life and the first by a

Baltimore pitcher since Roric Harrison hit one in 1972, the year

before the designated hitter rule was adopted by the American

League.

"Every year, they keep moving back the fences," he said,

grinning. "I'm glad to make the Orioles' record book."

Manager Sam Perlozzo knew this would be an emotional start for

Benson.

"I talked to him yesterday," the manager said. "He still has

fond memories. He still loves New York. It means a lot for him to

perform well here. He's been everything we could ask for."

The victory was Benson's sixth on the road this season for a

team that has won just 13 games away from home all season. He did

not allow a hit after the fourth inning and retired the last 15

hitters he faced.

"He was on," Mets manager Willie Randolph said. "He threw a

great ballgame. He had pretty good velocity toward the end, mixed

his pitches up really well."

Benson (8-5) connected against Mets starter Pedro Martinez in

the third inning.

"He's a pitcher," Martinez said. "Whenever I fall behind them

(a pitcher) I'm not going to fool around. Make him hit it. The next

time up he popped up to center field. Same pitch. Same location.

Fastball. Eighty-five, 86 miles per hour."

Benson allowed six hits and recovered from a shaky start to

pitch Baltimore to its second straight victory over New York. It

assured the Orioles would take the three-game series, just the

second time all season Baltimore has won a series on the road.

Chris Ray pitched the ninth for his 18th save in as many

opportunities, striking out pinch-hitter Julio Franco with a runner

on first.

The Orioles nicked Martinez (6-3) for an unearned run in the

first. Brian Roberts opened with a single, moved up on an infield

out and a passed ball and scored as second baseman Jose Valentin

robbed Miguel Tejada of a base hit.

The Mets came right back in the bottom of the first when Jose

Reyes opened with a double and scored as Benson threw Paul LoDuca's

sacrifice bunt into right field. Lo Duca took second on the error,

moved to third on an infield out and scored on a single by Carlos

Delgado.

Benson pitched out a bases-loaded jam in the second and then

tied the score leading off the third with his home run into the

Baltimore bullpen in left field.

In the fifth, Nick Markakis opened with a single and scored on a

double by Roberts, his third hit of the game. Roberts took third

when Martinez threw a pickoff attempt into center field, and scored

on a single by Brandon Fahey, making it 4-2.Game notes
Benson played Santa Claus at the Mets' Christmas party one

month before being traded to the Orioles last January. ... The Mets

signed RHP Joseph Smith, their third-round choice in the amateur

draft. He will report to Class-A Brooklyn of the New York-Penn

League. ... The Mets scored in the first inning for the ninth time

in the last 10 games ... Markakis robbed Lo Duca of an RBI hit in

the fourth with a diving catch in right field.