The New York Yankees will begin a three-game series against the Los Angeles Angels in Anaheim on Monday night, seeking to build on recent offensive momentum. The Yankees enter the series having won 24 of their last 40 games since the All-Star break, a stretch that has seen their offense awaken.
In their most recent series, the Yankees secured a victory against the Boston Red Sox, scoring a season-high 16 runs in one game and nine in another. Over their last eight games, the team has averaged at least seven runs. This offensive improvement is a significant shift from their performance in the 25 games prior, when they averaged 3.5 runs and scored more than seven runs on only three occasions.
The return of Cody Bellinger from the injured list has been cited as a contributing factor to the offensive resurgence. However, the team's success has also been attributed to manufacturing runs through strategic play, such as scoring runs via singles and sacrifice flies in a recent win.
FanDuel Sportsbook has tabbed the Yankees as road favorites at -138 against the Angels, who hold the second-worst home record in Major League Baseball this season. The Angels are also contending with a pitching change, as rookie George Klassen was placed on the injured list with a lower back injury, and Walbert Urena is expected to take his place in the starting rotation.
For the Yankees, rookie pitcher Elmer Rodriguez is scheduled to make his second start in less than a week and the sixth of his career. Rodriguez previously pitched six innings against the Houston Astros, allowing three earned runs on three hits while striking out six. The Angels' offense ranks near the bottom of MLB in weighted on-base average (xwOBA) and whiff rate, which could present a favorable matchup for Rodriguez.
The Yankees' performance since the All-Star break places them third in the American League for record during that span. Their recent offensive output and strong pitching performance offer a positive outlook as they face an Angels team struggling at home.