ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Gary Sheffield hit his 397th homer and drove in three runs Tuesday, leading Jose Contreras and the New York Yankees to a 4-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

Derek Jeter left the game in the eighth after getting hit on his right hand by a pitch from Victor Zambrano two innings earlier. There were no immediate details on the injury.

Contreras (8-3) allowed two runs and four hits in seven innings to beat Zambrano (9-6) for the second time in 12 days – again denying the Tampa Bay right-hander’s bid to become the first pitcher to beat the Yankees four times in a season since California’s Chuck Finley in 1996.

All-Star relievers Tom Gordon and Mariano Rivera finished, with Rivera getting three outs for his AL-leading 34th save in 35 chances.

Rivera has converted 22 save opportunities in a row, the longest streak in the majors this season. His 317th save moved him within one of Rick Aguilera for 10th place on the career list. Rivera is 32-for-32 lifetime against Tampa Bay.

Contreras walked two and struck out three to win his fourth straight decision since being reunited with his wife and children from Cuba last month. He beat Zambrano and the Devil Rays at Yankee Stadium on July 8, and Tuesday’s victory gave New York a split of this two-game series.

Sheffield’s two-run homer in the sixth was the first off Zambrano since June 4 – a stretch of 50 2-3 innings – and wiped out a 2-1 lead the Devil Rays took when Tino Martinez grounded into a double play in the fourth.

Sheffield connected after Zambrano, who leads the AL in walks and hit batters, plunked Jeter. The Devil Rays starter also hit Jorge Posada with a pitch later in the inning, hiking his season total to 15.

Jeter, who walked in his next at-bat in the seventh, left the game in the bottom of the eighth. Enrique Wilson moved from second base into Jeter’s spot at shortstop, and Miguel Cairo took over at second.

Tony Clark added a bloop RBI single in the eighth, making it 4-2.

Zambrano has 19 wins since the start of last season – 11 more than any other Devil Rays pitcher – but at times can also be his own worst enemy. He walked Bernie Williams and gave up a single to Jeter to begin the game, then made the situation worse with a wild pitch that allowed the runners to advance to second and third.

Sheffield grounded out, driving in Williams for a 1-0 New York lead. The Devil Rays countered with an unearned run on Carl Crawford’s sacrifice fly against Contreras in the third.

Zambrano worked out of a jam after Alex Rodriguez doubled with one out in the fourth, then escaped another in the fifth when he got Williams to ground into an inning-ending double play after Wilson doubled and Kenny Lofton singled to put runners at first and third.

Zambrano allowed three runs and five hits in 5 2-3 innings. He struck out seven and walked three.

Notes: The Devil Rays have lost just two of their past 17 series, both to the Yankees, who lead the season series 10-4. … Crawford’s first-inning single gave him a season-high 11-game hitting streak. It was his 24th infield hit. The All-Star outfielder also got his major league-leading 40th stolen base in the inning. … The Yankees optioned LHP Alex Graman to Triple-A Columbus after he gave up five runs and got only one out against the Devil Rays on Monday night. RHP Scott Proctor was recalled from Columbus.

AP-ES-07-20-04 1731EDT