The Yankees open a three-game set with the Angels in Anaheim tonight as they try to protect their two-game lead in the East. They’ve made it 4-2 so far on this West Coast trip, and the Angels are just 5-5 in their last 10.
On the Hill:
Friday: Ivan Nova (4-3, 4.67) vs. Jered Weaver (6-4, 2.10)
Saturday: CC Sabathia (6-3, 2.98) vs. Ervin Santana (3-4, 4.34)
Sunday: Bartolo Colon (3-3, 3.26) vs. Joel Pineiro (2-2, 3.52)
Players to Watch:
Ivan Nova: There was a lot of talk about Nova not deserving to keep his start tonight after the Yankees had the option to reconfigure their rotation with yesterday’s off-day. Nova has been hit hard in his past couple starts; he needs to limit his hits and walks allowed if he wants to keep his job.
Mark Trumbo: He’s a rookie, so you probably haven’t heard of him, but he’s riding a four-game hitting streak and has some pop. He leads all rookies with 10 homers.
Prediction:
These Angels aren’t the ones that owned the Yankees in the Joe Torre era. Jered Weaver is still excellent, but the Yankees will take both games over the weekend to win the series.
