Coffey deals with nosebleed on mound  —  PHILADELPHIA — It couldn't have been the rare air of the Nationals at .500, because that disappeared three games ago.  But suddenly Todd Coffey's nose began bleeding before he pitched to Ryan Howard in the fourth inning Thursday night, necessitating a delay for treatment.

Hedge funder Steve Cohen frontrunner to buy minority stake in Mets  —  Controversial hedge-fund titan Steve Cohen is very close to being a baseball owner, The Post has learned.  —  The billionaire money man is the frontrunner to buy a minority stake in the money-losing team and was set …

Droopy Sox  —  Weary team gets no lift from Lackey  —  The wall gives it to Darnell McDonald straight: the Angels put up crooked numbers.  (John Tlumacki/Globe Staff)  —  On the heels of a 5-3 loss Wednesday night that took almost eight hours to complete, it was evident that the bleary-eyed Red Sox …

Lower-back strain sends Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Jeff Niemann to disabled list  —  ST. PETERSBURG — RHP Jeff Niemann is headed to the disabled list with a lower-back strain that will sideline him for an undetermined about of time.  —  “It's very frustrating,” he said.

Also See  —  Were you at the game?  Did you attend another game recently?  Check in with ESPN Passport for iPhone, or check in online to archive your memories, photos, and your personal win-loss record.  —  Check in » iTunes »  —  New York Yankees starting pitcher Freddy Garcia throws during …

Justin Upton's hit gives Arizona 3-2 win in 11  —  PHOENIX - Gerardo Parra and Chris Young homered off Huston Street in the ninth inning and the Arizona Diamondbacks stunned Colorado 3-2 in 11 innings on Thursday night to take two of three from the Rockies.  —  Justin Upton's bloop single …

Will Derek Jeter ever return to being the Yankees' Captain Clutch?  —  DETROIT — They are undisputed franchise icons, cut from the same cloth, great players whose identities long ago became intertwined with their teams.  One is a member of the 3,000 hits club, the other stands just 47 hits short of admission.

M.L.B. Report Casts Doubt on Rigor of Drug Testing  —  Hours after a jury convicted Barry Bonds of obstruction of justice last month in connection with his suspected use of performance-enhancing drugs, Commissioner Bud Selig did what he often has when attention is cast on baseball's stormy history …

Six teams that could be in need of a trade for Mets' Reyes … The first Jose Reyes trade rumor was thrown out early — surely way too early to be seriously considered, as it came nearly three months before the trade deadline.  But it won't be the last.  —  No, this was very likely …

Contractual Matters  —  Screen Test  —  Royals broadcaster Denny Matthews has seen more than his share of foul balls.  Now in his 43rd season, the Hall of Fame play-by-play man with a dry wit regularly employs a succinct description of a ball hit too hard for a fan to try to catch barehanded.

Dodgers accuse MLB of foul play in finance probe  —  The Los Angeles Dodgers “are running out of air,” the team's vice-chairman said Thursday.  —  Strangled, he said, by baseball.  —  Smothered, he said, by a leisurely investigation.  —  Suffocated, he said, by a rigged game.

Peavy has right stuff; debut may be days off  —  Jake Peavy pitched six perfect innings — and one far from perfect — in a 100-pitch outing for the Class AAA Charlotte Knights on Thursday night.  —  The 2007 National League Cy Young Award winner hopes the rehab start against the host Toledo Mud Hens was his last in the minors.

Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz uncorked  —  After yesterday's day game vs. the Angels, Red Sox starters Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz launched their new charity wines at the House of Blues' Foundation Room across from Fenway Park.  —  Buchholz debuted his ChardonClay, a Chardonnay, while Lester introduced his CabernAce, a Cabernet.

Lewis Outstanding but Rangers Fall 3-1  —  SEATTLE (AP) — Colby Lewis' performance Thursday was nearly as good as C.J. Wilson a night earlier and set a little Texas Rangers history along the way.  —  Only this time the Rangers wasted the strong outing, capping a frustrating 2-5 road trip.

Slow start won't change Williams' approach  —  CHICAGO — The 2011 Chicago White Sox blueprint — or the “All-in manifesto,” if you will — certainly did not feature an 11-21 start at its foundation.  —  There was no anticipation of a 10 1/2- or 11-game deficit to overcome after just five weeks …