New York @ Los Angeles preview

Last Meeting ( Jun 9, 2016 ) LA Angels 3, NY Yankees 6

The New York Yankees still have aspirations for a wild card in the American League but have a lot of work to do in order to capture the spot. They will have a chance to get closer to their goal when they take to the road to begin a three-game series against the struggling Los Angeles Angels on Friday.

New York, which many believed threw in the towel on the season when it unloaded several key veterans at the trade deadline, is six games behind AL East rivals Baltimore and Boston for a wild card and has lost three of its last four contests. The Yankees will ride the hot bat of Gary Sanchez into the series as the rookie has hit four home runs in as many contests and five in his first 15 major league games, joining Steve Whitaker (1966) and Shelley Duncan (2007) as the only members of the franchise to accomplish the feat. Los Angeles posted a rare victory Thursday, topping visiting Seattle 6-4 for just its second triumph in 14 contests. Yunel Escobar hopes to continue his torrid pace against New York after going 8-for-9 over the final two contests of the Angels' four-game series versus the Mariners.

TV: 10:05 p.m. ET, FS1

PITCHING MATCHUP: Yankees RH Masahiro Tanaka (9-4, 3.40 ERA) vs. Angels RH Jered Weaver (8-10, 5.32)

Tanaka defeated Tampa Bay on Saturday for his second straight victory despite yielding at least four runs for the third time in four starts. The 27-year-old native of Japan is 0-2 in his last three outings on the road, surrendering 18 runs — 13 earned — and 25 hits over 16 innings. Tanaka settled for a no-decision in his second career start against the Angels on June 6 after allowing two runs and six hits in seven frames.

Weaver fell to 0-3 over his last five starts after yielding five runs and 10 hits in 5 1/3 innings at Cleveland on Sunday. The 33-year-old Californian has given up at least five runs in each loss during his winless streak but has allowed one run in two of his last three turns at home and is 1-0 in those outings. Weaver fell to 7-6 with a 6.08 ERA in 16 career starts against the Yankees on June 8, when he was tagged for six runs and nine hits over 5 1/3 frames at New York.

WALK-OFFS

1. Angels DH Albert Pujols is five RBIs away from reaching 100 for the 13th time.

2. New York rookie OF Aaron Judge, who homered in each of his first two career games, has driven in a run in four of his five major league contests.

3. Los Angeles OF Mike Trout is just 2-for-11 over his last five games but has drawn two walks in four of those contests.

PREDICTION: Yankees 5, Angels 3