West Coast baseball is on tap for Monday night, as the New York Yankees kick off a three-game series with the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium.
The Yankees (78–59, 2nd AL East) are coming off a big series win over the rival Boston Red Sox, punctuated by Sunday’s 16–1 curbstomp at Yankee Stadium. The Angels (52–85, 5th AL West), meanwhile, have dropped seven straight contests and are tied with the Colorado Rockies for the worst record in MLB.
Earlier this year, the teams split a four-game set in the Bronx.
Looking at the pitching probables, we’ve got New York right-hander Elmer Rodriguez (0–2, 4.70 ERA) taking on Los Angeles righty Walbert Urena (8–9, 2.94 ERA).
First pitch is at 9:38 p.m. ET. The Yankees enter as 1.5-run road favorites with -119 moneyline odds on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Angels are +111 underdogs, with the game total set at O/U eight runs.
Yankees vs. Angels Preview
New York Yankees
After their annual summer slump, the Yankees have slowly started getting back on track. They’ve won 10 of their last 14 games since August 16 — third-best in MLB during that stretch — and just took three of four from Boston to strengthen their cushion for the top Wild Card spot.
New York’s offense, still awaiting the return of Aaron Judge, has finally come alive — ranking fifth in wRC+, eighth in wOBA, and third in xwOBA during this stretch. The streaking lineup piled up nine runs on Saturday before erupting for a season-high 16 runs in Sunday’s big win over the Red Sox.
The Yankees’ pitching staff has remained dominant despite incessant injuries, posting MLB’s third-lowest ERA (2.62) in that time. But they’ll put that mark to the test on Monday, with young right-hander Elmer Rodriguez set for his second start since returning to the majors. The club’s No. 3 prospect, 23, was quite erratic in his first taste of big league action earlier this year, though he impressed mightily after replacing the injured Ryan Weathers in the rotation last week. There, Rodriguez held the Astros to three earned runs over six innings while piling up six strikeouts en route to a 9–3 victory.
Los Angeles Angels
The last time that the Angels played the Yankees, it seemed as if they had an outside shot at competing for a Wild Card spot. But a lot has changed since then. In the following months, the club has reclaimed its status as a perennial cellar dweller, once again saddled with the worst record in MLB.
Los Angeles has dropped 11 of its last 15 contests since August 14 – third-worst in baseball — punctuated by a seven-game slide. The offense has been in complete shambles, ranking 28th in wRC+ and 29th in wOBA and xwOBA during that stretch.
Even so, the Angels’ pitching staff, particularly its rotation, has quietly been brilliant of late — leading MLB in starter ERA (2.57) since the beginning of August. (The Yankees are second in that span at 2.62.) But the club is still counting on more consistency out of Monday’s starter, Walbert Urena; after a dominant July, the young right-hander, 22, has coughed up three or more runs in three of his last four starts.
Yankees vs. Angels Pick, Best Bet
The Yankees appear to have turned a corner following their dreadful start to the second half. Fresh off an emphatic series win over the Red Sox, they should ride that momentum into Monday’s series opener against the lowly Angels. While both starters enter with question marks, New York’s clicking offense gives them a clear advantage over LA’s lifeless lineup. And at +130 odds, there’s solid value in backing the Bronx Bombers to cover the 1.5-run spread in Anaheim.
