TREVOR STORY

New York Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner said he voted for Major League Baseball’s proposal to lower the luxury tax threshold, a plan opposed by the players’ union with the sport on the brink of its first work stoppage on 26 years.

Justin Verlander reached a $25 million deal to remain with the Houston Astros as he comes back from Tommy John surgery, and Brandon Belt accepted an $18.4 million qualifying offer from the San Francisco Giants.

The Los Angeles Dodgers have extended qualifying offers to free agent All-Stars Corey Seager and Chris Taylor, but not Clayton Kershaw.

Baseball’s ninth work stoppage and first in 26 years appears almost certain to start Dec. 2.

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Jake Arrieta got clobbered by Colorado and left with an injury in his Padres debut, and the Rockies beat San Diego 7-5.

Aledmys Díaz had three hits and drove in three runs to lead the Houston Astros to 5-1 win over the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday.

Shohei Ohtani continued his power display Wednesday, crushing a three-run home run, and Phil Gosselin had a go-ahead RBI single in the eighth inning for the Los Angeles Angels, who rallied for an 8-7 victory over the Colorado Rockies.

Shohei Ohtani pitched seven strong innings and hit an early RBI single as the Los Angeles Angels earned a 6-2 victory over the Colorado Rockies.

The second half of the major league baseball season begins with one game Thursday night when Xander Bogaerts, Rafael Devers and the AL East-leading Red Sox visit Yankee Stadium.

Pete Alonso of the New York Mets became the third back-to-back Home Run Derby champion, beating No. 6 seed Trey Mancini in the final.

The Shohei Ohtani Show at Coors Field starts with the All-Star Home Run Derby, with fans wondering how far the Angels’ two-way sensation and other sluggers can hit the ball in Denver’s thin air.

Kansas City catcher Salvador Pérez will join Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels, Trey Mancini of the Baltimore Orioles, Pete Alonso of the New York Mets and Trevor Story of the Colorado Rockies in the All-Star Home Run Derby at Denver’s Coors Field on July 12.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. joined his father as an All-Star and Fernando Tatis Jr. accomplished a feat his dad never achieved.

Josh Fuentes capped a big night with a two-out, walk-off single in the eighth inning after earlier hitting a two-run homer and the Colorado Rockies salvaged a doubleheader split by beating the virus-hampered San Diego Padres 3-2.

Jeff Bridich is stepping down as general manager of the Colorado Rockies.

Austin Gomber got his first victory for the Colorado Rockies, allowing two hits over six innings to beat the Astros 6-3 on a wintry afternoon and send Houston to its ninth loss in 10 games.

Jacob deGrom struck out nine straight batters against Colorado, falling one shy of matching Tom Seaver’s major league record.

New York Mets pitcher Jacob deGrom struck out nine straight batters against Colorado, falling one shy of matching the major league record set 51 years earlier by Mets great Tom Seaver.

Trevor Bauer lost his no-hit bid and his shutout during the seventh inning in his Los Angeles Dodgers debut against the Colorado Rockies.

Trevor Williams went five innings in his fourth start, allowing a run on three hits. Austin Gomber made his fourth start for Colorado, allowing two runs on three hits, striking out four in 4 1/3 innings. Dylan Cease made his second start, allowing three hits and three walks in 3 2/3 scoreless innings. Matthew Boyd made his fourth start, allowing one run on four hits and a walk in four innings, striking out five. Tyler Anderson went five innings in his fourth start for Pittsburgh, giving up one run on two hits.

On that one, we are probably on the same page.”RED SOX 8, RAYS 2Garrett Richards struck out seven in four scoreless innings for Boston. ATHLETICS 5, PADRES 4Fernando Tatis Jr. led off the game with his second spring home run, a smashing return after missing six days with a non-virus bug. The 30-year-old left has pitched four scoreless innings this spring. BREWERS 8, CUBS 3 (7)Brandon Woodruff made his second start for Milwaukee, allowing five hits in two scoreless innings. BRAVES 8, TWINS 5Michael Pineda, who last pitched a full season in 2016, made his first spring start for Minnesota.

TWINS 1, ORIOLES 0 (7 INNINGS)Minnesota ace Kenta Maeda allowed one hit in three innings, striking out four in his second start. Baltimore's Dean Kremer fared better in his second start, allowing a hit and a walk in three scoreless innings. Deivi García pitched three shutout innings in his second start for the Yankees. Nick Pivetta made his second start for Boston, allowing a run on three hits with three strikeouts in three innings. Alex Wood worked two innings in the start for San Francisco and gave up a home run to Omar Narvaez.

With a good young rotation and a deep lineup, the Braves are looking for their first World Series title since 1995. While San Diego is much improved, World Series MVP Corey Seager and Los Angeles are well-positioned for a run at another championship. The last time the All-Stars descended on Atlanta, Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter had three hits and two RBIs in the AL's 6-3 victory at Turner Field in 2000. AdTHURSDAY, AUG. 12New York Yankees at Chicago White Sox: Major League Baseball comes to Iowa. SUNDAY, SEPT. 26Houston Astros at Oakland Athletics: The AL West rivals close out their season series with Oakland's home finale.

The 2018 AL Rookie of the Year is off to a strong start this spring on both sides. PHILLIES 3, PIRATES 0Bryce Harper homered on his first swing of spring training, launching a opposite-field drive to left. Chad Kuhl made his second start for Pittsburgh, allowing two runs on three hits. Brad Keller worked three innings in the start for the Royals and allowed a run on four hits and two walks. BRAVES 4, TWINS 0 (7)Kyle Wright fared much better in his second start for Atlanta, allowing one hit in three shutout innings with two strikeouts.

FILE - In this Friday, Sept. 27, 2019, file photo, Colorado Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado warms up before a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)DENVER – Nolan Arenado hasn't expressed this much optimism since signing his $260 million contract with Colorado two years ago. Ad“They really care about winning,” Arenado said of the Cardinals. He wanted to move on.”The Cardinals acquired Arenado for what some considered a steal: left-hander Austin Gomber and four minor leaguers. Ad“I’m going to miss some of the boys on the Rockies," Arenado said.

The .245 big league batting average was the the lowest since .237 in 1968 and down from .252 last year. LeMahieu hit .364 for the New York Yankees, the highest for an AL batting champion since Minnesota’s Joe Mauer hit .365 in 2009 and well ahead of 2019 AL batting champion Tim Anderson of the Chicago White Sox, who finished second at .322. LeMahieu won the NL batting title with Colorado in 2016. “You've got to just roll with it.”Soto batted .351 for Washington and at 21 years, 11 months, 2 days became the youngest NL batting champion. Bieber and the Chicago Cubs’ Yu Darvish tied for the major league lead in wins with eight.

(AP Photo/David Zalubowski)DENVER Starling Marte homered and drove in four runs as the Arizona Diamondbacks battered the Colorado Rockies 13-7 Wednesday in a Coors Field slugfest featuring 34 hits, but none by blistering Charlie Blackmon. Blackmon began the game batting an astonishing .500 for the Rockies. Blackmon was on deck when Trevor Story, who doubled twice and singled, grounded into a game-ending double play. Rockies: Following an off day Thursday, the Rockies begin a stretch of 20 games in 20 days starting Friday night in a series opener against the Texas Rangers. Colorado RHP Ryan Castellani (0-0, 0.00 ERA) is slated to start against the Rangers RHP Lance Lynn (2-0, 1.16 ERA).

Colorado Rockies shortstop Trevor Story (27) makes the tag on Texas Rangers' Elvis Andrus (1) who was attempting to steal in the fourth inning of a baseball game Saturday, July 25, 2020, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Richard W. Rodriguez)ARLINGTON, Texas Daniel Bard won in his first major league game in more than seven years, pitching 1 1-3 scoreless innings in relief for the Colorado Rockies in a 3-2 win over the Texas Rangers on Saturday. A first-round pick by the Boston Red Sox in 2006, Bard made his big league debut three years later. The Rangers left 12 runners on base, including multiple runners in the fifth through eighth innings. LHP Kyle Freeland, who was 3-11 last season, pitches for Colorado.

ARLINGTON, Texas Texas right-hander Corey Kluber left his first start in almost 15 months after just one inning Sunday due to shoulder tightness. The two-time Cy Young Award winner was making his first appearance for a team other than Cleveland after an offseason trade. The Rangers said Kluber reported feeling the tightness in the first few pitches and it got worse as the inning progressed. He was close to returning when he sustained an oblique injury during a rehab start last August. He was a 20-game winner in 2018, and the AL Cy Young Award winner in 2014 and 2017.

Texas Rangers starter Lance Lynn (35) throws the first pitch of an opening day baseball game to Colorado Rockies' David Dahl as Rangers' Robinson Chirinos catches and home plate umpire Jim Reynolds looks on Friday, July 24, 2020, in Arlington, Texas. The pitch was the first ever in a regular season game at Globe Life Field, the Rangers' new ballpark. (AP Photo/Jeffrey McWhorter)ARLINGTON, Texas Lance Lynn struck out nine in six sharp innings and the Texas Rangers inaugurated their new retractable-roof stadium with a 1-0 win over the Colorado Rockies on Friday night. A LONG WAYRockies All-Star shortstop Trevor Story, who is from nearby Irving, Texas, hit a deep drive to the left-center gap with one on in the eighth inning. SOME SPECTATORSRockies rookie LF Sam Hilliards father, diagnosed two years ago with ALS, was able to attend his sons first MLB opening day.

The setting sun shines through the windows of Globe Life Field during the third inning of a baseball game between the Texas Rangers and the Colorado Rockies Wednesday, July 22, 2020, in Arlington, Texas. The first round will be a best-of-three series and the pairings will be 1 vs. 8, 2-7, 3-6 and 4-5. BRAND NEW HOMEThe Texas Rangers officially open Globe Life Field, their new $1.2 billion stadium with a retractable roof. Bumgarner signed an $85 million, five-year deal with the D-backs during the offseason after spending 11 years in San Francisco. Roberts said Kershaw might be able to return as early as the team's series against the Diamondbacks that begins July 30.