The Yankees sent the Angels in six games of last year's ALCS, but it was the Halos who held the upper hand against New York in the 2009 regular season.
The Yankees travel to Anaheim for a weekend series against the host Angels with the opening game of this three-game set Friday night and the first pitch at 10:05 p.m. (ET).
New York easily disposed of this Angels team in last year’s playoffs on its way to another World Championship. But the regular season was much different, especially the games played at Angels Stadium in Anaheim where LA was 4-2 in six meetings.
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New York will send A.J. Burnett to the bump with his 2-0 record and ERA of 2.37 on the season. Burnett is 1-0 on the road this year but his ERA jumps more than one run per start to 3.75 and another run to 4.75 (2-2 record) in six career starts versus LA.
Burnett is 2-10 (-9.8 units) in road games versus teams averaging 2.75 or less extra base hits per game the last three seasons and 11-31 (-20.4 units) in road games when working on five or six days rest since 1997.
The Angels will hang their hopes on Ervin Santana who is 1-2 on the year with a 4.35 ERA. Santana has a 5-3 career mark versus the boys from Gotham, with an ERA of 5.50. One of his losses this season came back on April 13 in New York pitching 5.7 innings, giving up five earned runs, five walks and seven strikeouts in a 7-5 loss to the Yankees.
He rebounded in his last start going nine innings and giving up one earned run with no walks while striking out six versus the Blue Jays; the Angels won, 3-1, north of the border.
LA is 104-76 (+24.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record the last three seasons, 31-22 (+15.6 Units) as an underdog of +100 to +150 the last two seasons and 12-3 (+10.6 Units) as a home underdog of +100 to +125 the last two seasons.
Santana is 7-1 (+8.3 Units) as an underdog of +100 to +150 the last two seasons.
A check of the database reveals a league-wide system that is active for tonight’s contest. Play on AL home teams in this price range when they have a batting average of .265 or worse facing a starter whose ERA is 3.20 or better with a starting pitcher who has given up an average of one or more home runs per start. These home teams are 30-12 for 71.4 percent winners and have won 19.3 units since 1997.
We are going to back the home team here as the Angels hand the boys from Gotham their second loss in a row.
Projected Final Score: Los Angeles-5 New York-3
Free Pick: Angels +130