TAMPA – When the forkball dips and the slider darts the way it did last night, the Yankees pat themselves on the back for giving Jose Contreras $32 million.

Coming off a three-inning stint in which he walked three, Contreras toyed with the Reds last night at Legends Field, where the Yankees posted a 7-3 victory. Using the splitter and slider when ahead in the count, Contreras fanned eight, gave up one hit and two walks in four innings.

“I had better control and got ahead of the hitters,” said the No. 4 starter who will be in his second season with the Yankees.

“Today the forkball was a lot better. I threw it for strikes and it was down and it went down and out of the zone.”

A pre-game chat with Mel Stottlemyre led to Contreras’ improved concentration.

“I was focusing on every pitch,” Contreras said. “Sometimes you get the first and second batter and . . . you can’t pitch that way.”