New York touches down at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California at 9:38 PM EDT, bringing their 78-59 record and a bullpen situation that seems to require a math degree to decode. Elmer Rodriguez (RHP, #71) steps up to face off against Walbert Urena (RHP, #57), a matchup that feels like throwing a ball at a brick wall because Rodriguez’s 4.70 ERA and 1.52 WHIP suggest he is currently negotiating with gravity rather than the strike zone. The Yankees are the -121 favorites, which is a bold wager considering Aaron Judge is still "recovering" somewhere on a 60-day IL, while Rodriguez is out there trying to prove that two hands are indeed better than one.
The Angels, sporting a 52-85 record, don’t exactly have much to lose aside from their dignity and the last of their season's credibility. Urena brings an 8-9 record and a 2.94 ERA to the table, making him the more competent option between two pitchers who look like they might be sharing a single supply of adrenaline. With Ryan McMahon buried on the 10-day IL and George Lombard Jr. hovering day-to-day, the Yankees are fielding a roster that looks like it was assembled during a particularly chaotic trivia night. Lock in your Yankees-at-Angels pick in the StreakChat prediction game or follow the discussion to see if anyone else is squinting at this lineup like it’s a bad credit report.