Second baseman Robinson Cano’s error with one out in the ninth inning allowed the go-ahead run to score, and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays won the season series against the Yankees for the first time with a 4-3 victory last night.

The Devil Rays are 10-4 against the Yankees in 2005 after beginning the season 31-80 against New York since entering the majors in 1998.

Jonny Gomes had two hits, scored a run, and made a pair of strong throws in the sixth inning, helping keep the Devil Rays’ deficit to a run.

The Yankees couldn’t hold a three run lead with Randy Johnson on the mound and lost the opener of a six game homestand. New York fell four games behind the AL East-leading Boston Red Sox, who open a three game series at Yankee Stadium starting Friday.

Derek Jeter scored a run and drove in another in his 1,500th major league game. The Yankees began the night with a 1 1/2 game lead over Cleveland and Oakland in the wild-card race.

Pinch-hitter Aubrey Huff singled off Mariano Rivera (6-4) with one out in the ninth, and pinch-runner Joey Gathright stole second. Julio Lugo hit a grounder behind second, which Cano allowed to go between his legs while the speedy Gathright raced home.

The Devil Rays tied the game at 3 in the seventh. Singles by Nick Green and Carl Crawford put runners at the corners with one out, and Johnson was replaced by Tom Gordon, who gave up Jorge Cantu’s sacrifice fly.

New York had three hits in the sixth, but sent only four men to the plate and couldn’t add to its lead.

Jeter led off the first with a lined single off the glove of leaping Alex Gonzalez at third and eventually scored on Gary Sheffield’s infield single. Sheffield went to third on Giambi’s single and scored when second baseman Green booted Ruben Sierra’s two-out grounder.

The Yankees made it 3-0 in the second when Cano doubled with one out and scored on Jeter’s single.