ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) - Not even Ivan Nova could stop the Tampa Bay Rays from another home win over the New York Yankees.

Sean Rodriguez hit a go-ahead two-run homer, helping the Rays beat the Yankees 7-4 on Tuesday night.

Nova, who entered 5-0 in his past seven starts, allowed six runs and seven hits in six-plus innings. The right-hander had won his previous four starts against Tampa Bay, limiting the Rays to four earned runs in 28 innings during the stretch.

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``I didn't have very good fastball command, but I can't make an excuse,' Nova said. ``I just have to pitch. I just got hit, so I have to move past this one and look forward to the next start.'

Rodriguez, mired in a 17 for 100 slump dating back to May 21, finished with 3 for 4.

After blowing a three-run lead, New York went ahead 4-3 on Eric Chavez's RBI single during the fourth. Tampa Bay responded in the bottom half and grabbed a 5-4 lead on Rodriguez's first homer since May 27 off Nova (9-3).

James Shields (8-5) gave up four runs and 10 hits over seven innings for the Rays, who have won nine straight at Tropicana Field over the Yankees.

``We've got to find a way to win a game,' New York manager Joe Girardi said. ``We haven't played well and we've had a lead the last couple of nights, but given it up. We've got to find a way to hold the lead. Tonight wasn't a good game for us. We have to put up a good game tomorrow to win.'

Tampa Bay extended its lead to 7-4 with a two-run seventh. After Desmond Jennings stole home on a play that had catcher Russell Martin make a bad throw to second on B.J. Upton's stolen base attempt, Ben Zobrist had a run-scoring single.

Fernando Rodney, the Rays' third reliever, pitched the ninth for his 24th save.

New York took a 2-0 lead in the first when Curtis Granderson had an RBI double and Robinson Cano hit a run-scoring single.

Cano, who has driven in at least one run in a career-high seven consecutive games, was then doubled off first on Nick Swisher's one-out fly to center. Cano was also thrown out at the plate on a strong relay throw from Rodriguez on Raul Ibanez's sixth-inning double.

Dewayne Wise made it 3-0 on a third-inning solo homer.

Wise nearly threw out Elliot Johnson out at the plate from left field on Upton's two-out single later in the third, but a sliding Johnson was called safe when Martin juggled the ball during the tag try. Jeff Keppinger then tied it at 3 on a two-run single.

``I felt like this is pretty much my loss,' Martin said. ``If I make that play in the third inning, it's a whole different ball game. There's no excuse. I tried to put the tag down and (the ball) just popped out.'

Martin, hitting .182, went 0 for 4 and is hitless in his last 23 at_bats.

Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira was out of the lineup on a planned day off that was set up about a week ago. The break came one day after Teixeira made his first error in 94 games, a misplayed two-out grounder in the seventh inning that allowed the eventual winning run to score in New York's 4-3 loss to Tampa Bay.

Chavez, who took Teixeira's spot, was charged with an error after mishandling Zobrist's grounder in the third.

``These are actually human beings, they're not robots,' Girardi said. ``This is not a game where you play on TV in a video game. Some players are going to make errors some nights, but our players have done a good job of not making errors this year.'

NOTES: Rays LHP David Price (11-4), who left his previous start last Friday after seven innings because of lower back tightness, will go against Yankees RHP David Phelps (1-3) in Wednesday's series finale. Phelps is filling for New York ace CC Sabathia, who has been out since straining his left groin on June 24. ... Sabathia threw in the outfield for the second consecutive game, including at 60 feet. The left-hander expects to have a mound session this weekend. ... Wise has homered in three of last five starts.