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MINNEAPOLIS -- The New York Yankees reunion with Alfonso Soriano is likely over after the team designated the struggling outfielder for assignment on Sunday. Derek Carr Jersey . Soriano returned to New York midway through last season and sparked the offence with 17 home runs in 58 games. But Soriano hit just .221 this season with six homers and 23 RBIs in 67 games. The Yankees announced the move shortly after acquiring Arizona right-handed starter Brandon McCarthy for lefty Vidal Nuno. "We designated Soriano, which is extremely difficult because hes been a great Yankee and a great player," New York manager Joe Girardi said before Sundays game at Minnesota. Sorianos playing time decreased considerably this year after New York signed Jacoby Ellsbury and Carlos Beltran in the off-season. He recently has been splitting time in right field with Ichiro Suzuki since Beltran was injured and is now limited to designated hitter. But the slugger who started his major league career with the Yankees in 1999 and has 412 career homers has not connected since May 17 and has struck out 71 times in 226 at-bats. The 38-year-old Soriano is in the final year of an eight-year, $136 million deal he signed with the Chicago Cubs, who are paying $13 million of his $18 million salary this year. The Yankees have 10 days to trade or place Soriano on unconditional waivers. If he clears waivers, New York can release him. "For Soriano, its a guy that came in and did a tremendous job for us last year, has had his struggles this year and hes a guy thats used to playing every day," Girardi said. "Wasnt every day for him, maybe it was harder for him to get going, not sure. Im sure hes extremely disappointed. Soriano always takes things with class." The Yankees recalled pitcher Bruce Billings from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Billings pitched in one game for New York this season, allowing four runs in four innings on April 25 against the Los Angeles Angels. Girardi has an open spot in the starting rotation after Nuno was traded to the Diamondbacks. Nuno was slated to start on Monday and McCarthy pitched on Thursday. New York wont force McCarthy into Nunos spot on short rest. Billings -- who has started 11 games in Triple-A -- wont be a candidate to start on Monday, Girardi said. An announcement will be made later. "The taxing of our bullpen kind of forced us to make this move, in a sense," Girardi said. "Im not saying it wouldnt have happened, but we decided we had to make it today because we need to." Charles Woodson Jersey .com) - Delon Wright made all 12 of his free throws and finished with 21 points and six assists as No. DeAndre Washington Jersey . - Free agent defensive end Will Smith has signed with the New England Patriots. DURHAM, N.C. -- If this was Jabari Parkers last home game at Duke, what a farewell it was. The freshman phenom scored a season-high 30 points and added 11 rebounds in the fourth-ranked Blue Devils 93-81 win over No. 14 North Carolina on Saturday night. In leading Duke in both scoring and rebounding all season, he hasnt looked like a first-year player very often. And he doesnt want to be called one, either. "No more freshman," he said. "I dont like getting in that category anymore because my team needs me more than just an 18-year-old. They need somebody with experience through the whole game. ... Its time to grow up." Rodney Hood added 24 points to help Duke (24-7, 13-5) end the Tar Heels 12-game winning streak and clinch the No. 3 seed in the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament. Duke never trailed, shot 51 per cent -- 57 per cent in the second half -- and dominated the ACCs best team on the glass, outrebounding North Carolina 34-20. "I think at the end of the day, it just came down to our want-to against their want-to, and it just wasnt there -- the sense of urgency," North Carolina big man James Michael McAdoo said. Marcus Paige -- who led UNCs second-half comeback two weeks ago -- finished this one with 24 points, while Brice Johnson had 15 and McAdoo added 13 for the Tar Heels (23-8, 13-5). They shot nearly 60 per cent but couldnt overcome their disadvantage on the glass and are locked into the No. 4 seed in the league tournament. Leslie McDonald added 12 points for North Carolina, which was denied its fourth win over a top-five team, but briefly made things tense in the final minutes when Paige converted a four-point play to make it 81-73 with 2:50 left. But the Tar Heels point guard missed 3s on the next two possessions -- with Parker blocking the second of those with 2 1/2 minutes left. Quinn Cook hit two free throws, Amile Jefferson added another and Parker hit two foul shots with 2:03 left to push the lead to 86-73 and effectively end it. Cook finished with 11 points and Rasheed Sulaimon added 10. And in what might have been his finale at Cameron Indoor Stadium, Parker put on quite a show. "Its hard to say what it is," North Carolina coach Roy Williams said, referring to an intangible quality coach Mike Krzyzewski had chided Duke for being without in its loss to UNC. "But whatever the hell it is, Jabari found it," Williams added. Parker hit 10 of his 17 shots, cracked his previous high of 29 points set last month at Boston College and showed off all the skills that have him as a likely high NBA draft pick -- should he decide to forgo his finnal three seasons of college eligibility and turn pro. P.J. Hall Jersey. But he says he has time to make that decision. "Mostly what Im focusing on is to do as much as possible with these guys (during) my time here," Parker said. Parker set the tone early by converting repeatedly around the rim, and he hit two of his four attempts from 3-point range -- including one from the corner that gave Duke its largest lead, 74-55, with 8 1/2 minutes left. "I just thought he had his best spirit to score tonight that hes had all season, because theyre really good, and at times he just wasnt going to be denied," Krzyzewski said. "And then, boom, boom, boom, you hit those 3s (and) that lead can go to double digits quick." Indeed, when those 3s are falling, the Blue Devils are tough to beat. When theyre not, Duke is usually in trouble. The Blue Devils were only 5 of 22 from long range in their 74-66 loss in Chapel Hill. They made just 6 of 27 from beyond the arc in a 10-point loss at Wake Forest on Wednesday night. In this one, Duke missed 12 of its first 14 3-pointers and held a tenuous 47-39 lead when pesky senior guard Tyler Thornton picked up his fourth foul with 17:11 left. Cook came on to replace him and immediately hit a straightaway 3 that started the Blue Devils big burst. "It was good to see the ball go in for the first time," Cook said, adding that Parker "told me he was going to hit me as soon as I came in the game. Thats just the trust we have in each other." Andre Dawkins followed with another one from the corner to help the Blue Devils open up a 53-41 lead. Parker then added a jumper and two free throws before Cook hit and up-and-under layup. And Hood then followed that with a 3 with 14 minutes left to give Duke its largest lead to that point, 62-46. That shot whipped an already amped-up Cameron crowd -- which included Dallas Cowboys coach Jason Garrett and his quarterback, an apparent Blue Devils fan, Tony Romo cheering enthusiastically from behind the scorers table -- into an absolute frenzy. There were plenty of famous faces in the crowd for the latest renewal of college basketballs fiercest rivalry: NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell -- wearing a Duke sweater -- watched from one baseline, while former Oklahoma coaches Barry Switzer and Billy Tubbs sat on the other one. And Hood and Parker kept them entertained all night. "Jabari was sensational, and so was Rodney," Krzyzewski said. "This is the first game where the two of them were sensational together. Theyve both been good together, but they were sensational together."