Red Sox, O's broadcaster at odds over bloody sock  —  BALTIMORE — The story of Curt Schilling's famous bloody sock from the 2004 playoffs is turning into a bloody mess after a prominent broadcaster claimed one of Schilling's teammates acknowledged the blood wasn't real.

Patterson Doomed By Nats' Defense  —  Lack of Support Leads to Loss: Phillies 9, Nationals 3  —  One ball sailed to left field, where Robert Fick might have caught it but didn't.  The next hitter, predictably, followed with a home run, and an inning from which John Patterson might have escaped cost him two runs.

Sosa has two HRs, Rangers fall to Tribe (AP)  —  CLEVELAND (AP) — Sammy Sosa hit two homers to reach 594 for his career, but Paul Byrd and the Cleveland Indians beat the Texas Rangers 9-4 Thursday for their fifth straight win.  —  Sosa's 439-foot drive into the left-field seats leading off …

As the A-Rod Turns  —  I wrote a two-part piece on Alex Rodriguez last year when he was supposedly washed up, struggling, could not hit a thing.  What a difference a year makes.  Now A-Rod is rewriting the American League record book and is apparently a different person.

What everybody ought to know about Phil Hughes  —  Mark O'Brien is gettin' the shaft.  The Santa Clara University baseball coach doesn't have a dominant, front-line ace to trot out there this weekend when his team takes on conference foe Loyola Marymount in one of the most important series of the season.

Bonds could set HR mark against Sox  —  You ready for this, because it could happen here.  —  This is what we know: Barry Bonds is going to pass Hank Aaron.  Here's what we don't know: Where or when.  But your favorite little ballpark is in the running for the where part, the weekend of June 15-17.

Bobby Valentine's Super Terrific Happy Hour  —  With his progressive and creative baseball mind and his Veeckian flair for showmanship, the controversial former Mets manager is a national hero — alas, halfway around the globe  —  The Most Hated Man in Baseball is now adored.

Prior still in club's plans?  Hendry won't say  —  Mark Prior's season is over, and his future in Chicago is cloudy.  —  Specialist James Andrews performed a right shoulder arthroscopy on Prior, 26, in Birmingham, Ala., which included a cleanup of his right rotator cuff and a repair of the shoulder capsules and right labrum.

Thoughts on Bonds  —  Barry Bonds hit his seventh home run of the season last night.  He's now getting on base at a .470 clip and slugging .808.  I'm totally amazed by this.  Watching him play last April, I thought he was through.  But as the season wore on he adjusted to his knees and elbow …

Mets Fans Need Not Worry About Wright  —  David Wright has now played in 20 games this year, in which he's driven in four runs and hasn't hit a single home run.  Dating back to last year's All Star break, a period covering 87 games, he's hit six home runs and driven in 46 …

Frenchy on a new level  —  Jeff Francoeur played 20 games through April 24 last season, and he played 20 through April 24 this season.  But that's about where the similarities end.  —  The Golden Boy is on fire, surely making Lilburn and all of Braves Nation proud.  The boy's done growed up (OK, I'll stop).

Under The Knife: Prior Mayhem Makes a Long Wait Longer by Will Carroll  —  I spent most of Wednesday waiting and wondering, like most baseball fans.  It was the day we'd all finally have some closure on Mark Prior.  Was he pitching through a damaged shoulder?