The Associated Press

New York Yankees first baseman Jason Giambi launches one in the first inning. (AP photo)

TOKYO - Jose Cruz Jr. hit a tying home run that sparked a comeback, Tino Martinez helped beat his former team with his 300th career home run and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays roughed up Mike Mussina in defeating the New York Yankees 8-3 Tuesday.

The Yankees gave up 15 hits and played sluggishly in the field.

Alex Rodriguez, in his first game in pinstripes, took called third strikes his first two at-bats before doubling and popping out. But he also made three sparkling defensive plays at third base.

After Cruz's homer tied it 3-all in the sixth, Martinez, Julio Lugo and Toby Hall hit consecutive doubles for a 5-3 lead, chasing Mussina.

Paul Quantrill got three outs on three pitches to get out of the inning, but left the game after his fourth pitch, when Rodriguez ran into him trying to field Rocco Baldelli's bunt single in the seventh.

Felix Heredia made a wild pickoff throw for a two-base error before his first pitch, then allowed a single to Aubrey Huff and a two-run homer to Martinez.

New York	AB	R	H	BI	BB	SO	Avg.
Jeter ss	5	0	0	0	0	1	.000
Matsui lf	4	1	1	0	0	0	.250
ARodriguez 3b	4	1	1	0	0	2	.250
JaGiambi 1b	4	1	2	2	0	0	.500
Sheffield rf	2	0	2	1	2	0	1.000
Posada c	4	0	0	0	0	2	.000
Sierra dh	4	0	0	0	0	1	.000
EWilson 2b	4	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Lofton cf	3	0	1	0	1	0	.333
Totals	34	3	7	3	3	6

Tampa Bay	AB	R	H	BI	BB	SO	Avg.
Crawford lf	5	0	0	0	0	1	.000
Rolls 3b	5	0	2	0	0	0	.400
Baldelli cf	4	1	1	0	1	1	.250
Huff dh	5	1	2	1	0	1	.400
JoCruz rf	4	2	1	1	1	0	.250
TMartinez 1b	3	3	3	2	1	0	1.000
Lugo ss	4	1	1	1	0	0	.250
Hall c	4	0	3	3	0	0	.750
RSanchez 2b	4	0	2	0	0	0	.500
Totals	38	8	15	8	3	3

New York	200	001	000	-3	7	1
Tampa Bay	000	203	30x	-8	15	0

E-Heredia (1). LOB-New York 7, Tampa Bay 9. 2B-Matsui (1), ARodriguez (1), JaGiambi (1), Sheffield (1), Rolls (1), TMartinez (1), Lugo (1), Hall (1). 3B-Lofton (1). HR-TMartinez (1), off Heredia; JoCruz (1), off Mussina; JaGiambi (1), off Zambrano. RBIs-JaGiambi 2 (2), Sheffield (1), Huff (1), JoCruz (1), TMartinez 2 (2), Lugo (1), Hall 3 (3). SB-JoCruz (1).

New York	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	NP	ERA
Mussina L, 0-1	5	10	5	5	2	2	81	9.00
Quantrill	1	1	1	1	0	0	4	9.00
Heredia	2	4	2	2	1	1	27	9.00

Tampa Bay	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	NP	ERA
Zambrano W, 1-0	6	6	3	3	1	4	92	4.50
LCarter H, 1	2	1	0	0	1	1	31	0.00
DBaez	1	0	0	0	1	1	26	0.00

Umpires-Home, Joe West; First, Brian Gorman; Second, Jerry Meals; Third, C.B. Bucknor.

T-2:45. A-55,000 (42,000).

GIANTS: The team placed closer Robb Nen and reliever Scott Eyre on the 15-day disabled list.

Nen, a three-time All-Star, is trying to recover from three shoulder operations that caused him to miss the 2003 season. Eyre strained his lower back Friday.

RANGERS: Right fielder Brian Jordan might start the season on the disabled list because of a sore left knee - the same one he had season-ending surgery on in 2003.

ORIOLES: Rodrigo Lopez will begin the season in the bullpen after being replaced in the starting rotation by Erik Bedard, a 25-year-old rookie who is 2-0 with a 2.04 ERA in five exhibition games.

INDIANS: Jason Stanford, a 27-year-old undrafted free agent who was working in a Buffalo, N.Y., deli not long ago, was named Cleveland's No. 5 starter.

TRADE: Toronto traded outfielder Jayson Werth to Los Angeles for right-handed reliever Jason Frasor. Werth hit .234 with two homers and 16 RBI with the Blue Jays last season. Frasor split time with Single-A and Double-A and went a combined 2-0 with 23 saves.

MARLINS: Florida signed Tanyon Sturtze to a minor-league contract. He asked for and received his release from Los Angeles Monday after giving up 18 hits and posting a 9.00 ERA in 11 innings this spring.