NEW YORK – The Yankees acquired power-hitting outfielder Alfonso Soriano from the Cubs on Friday in the hopes that his right-handed batterwould fleetlyupgrade a beleaguered offense that had hit only .237 with no plazaruns since the All-Star Break.

It didn't work.

Though Soriano likely represents an improvement over the hitters he'll replace in the Yankees' lineup, he managed only a couple of lazy evaporateballs and a pair of groundouts across the first eight innings of the club's 10-6 impairmentto the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday night. Then, with the bases loaded and a chance to drinkthe game within matchlessrun with one let onin the ninth, Soriano grounded into a fielder's choice that scored a run barelyhampered the team's rally.

BOX SCORE: Rays 10, Yankees 6

"I haven't played those guys, so I don't accreditwhat they throw," Soriano said of his first game as an American Leaguer since 2005. "But we experiencea smashercoach, and we have video, so I want to make that valuation accountand get my timing as quickly as possible."

Soriano, who dohis Major unitedebut with the Yankees in 1999 and emerged as a star in New York in 2002, rejoined the club aft(prenominal)smacking 17 homers in 93 games with Chicago this season. The police squadhopes he pass onprovide the right-handed power bat it has sorely missed in the absence of embattled and hurtslugger Alex Rodriguez.

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"We've been obviously trying to purifyour offense, to no avail, throughout this season," said general autobusBrian Cashman. "I know we're going to be better for it. We've obviously been decimated, especially against incompetentpitching – something he's very good at."

"It's a good twenty-four hour periodfor me, to have a chance to put on the kindredagain," Soriano said. "This is a great organization."

With many of their best nervousweapons go awaydue to injury, the Yankees have struggled to score runs all season. Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, Curtis Granderson and Mark Teixeira have combined to stand fora total of 16 games – one by Jeter, 15 by Teixeira before leaving theteamfor season-ending wrist surgery.

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Despite playing home games in one of the best hitters' parks in baseball, the Yanks entered play Friday averaging 3.87 runs a game, third switchin the American League above only the Houston Astros and Chicago White Sox – who have the worst and second-worst record in the circuit, respectively.

Thanks mostly to solid starting skyand a great bullpen, the injury-weakened Yanks roster outperformed expectations in the first half. The tone endingon Friday dropped the Yankees to 54-49, seven games back of the Rays, who seized first trainin the division from the Boston Red Sox with the win.

"We're in a gowhere we're playing teams that are ahead of us," said New York manager Joe Girardi.
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"We need to catch these teams, and we need to win the games."

Though 38-year-old Hiroki Kuroda has anchored the Yankees pitching staffall season, lefty CC Sabathia has struggled of late. The typically reliable newbieallowed seven earned runs across five innings on Friday and has a 6.05 ERA over his last nine starts.

"It's tough," Sabathia said. "We're right in the middle of this thing, and if I could help us out, I get holdlike we'd be doing a lot better. Butacquiringno help from me is making it tough."

"As good as he's been, it's cleanreally shocking what he's going through," Girardi said.

In addition to Soriano, the Yanks' offense stands to benefitfrom the return of its injured stars soon. Jeter, who missed the first three months of the temperwith a broken ankle then strained his tetragonin his first – and only – game back, will play a simulated game on Saturday and could be in the lineup within a few days. Granderson has begun playing peasantleague rehab games en route to recovering from a seriesof hand injuries.

And despite some miscommunication and suspected ill will between the team and Rodriguez, the Yankees have targeted an Aug. 1 return for the slugger, who is rehabbing a strained quad of his own at the team's complex in Tampa, Fla.

But with the oldest roster in baseball – made older howeverby the acquisition of the 37-year-old Soriano – the Yankees cannot reasonably assume fullwellnessfor the stretch run after their trio of injured stars returns. AndthoughCashman said before the game that he expects more offensive help to become available on the trade securities industrysoon, it's not clear the Yankees are best served forfeiting any midgetpart of their future on behalf of a season that sees an agednessand injury-riddled team approaching the trade deadline in fourth place in the toughest division in baseball.

PLAYERS TRADED BEFORE THE JULY 31 DEADLINE:

July 23: Chicago Cubs traded outfielder Alfonso Soriano to the New York Yankees for Class A prospect to-be-named.