Los Angeles @ New York preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 18, 2019 ) LA Angels 3, NY Yankees 2

The New York Yankees will soon clinch the American League East for the first time in seven years, but they still have plenty of work to do down the stretch. With their magic number to win the division down to one, the Yankees continue their pursuit of home-field advantage throughout the American League playoffs Thursday when they take on the visiting Los Angeles Angels in the rubber match of a three-game set.

New York dropped a 3-2 decision to the Angels on Wednesday to keep the champagne on ice. The Yankees remained stuck on 99 wins with their third loss in the last five games, a mini-swoon that has dropped the club one game behind the Houston Astros for the best record in the AL. Aaron Judge's two-run homer accounted for all of the offense for New York on Wednesday, as the hosts went 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position while falling to 54-23 at home. Masahiro Tanaka will make one of his final postseason prep starts when he goes for the Yankees in the series finale opposite lefty Andrew Heaney.

TV: 6:35 p.m. ET, FS West (Los Angeles), WPIX (New York)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Angels LH Andrew Heaney (4-5, 4.76 ERA) vs. Yankees RH Masahiro Tanaka (10-8, 4.60)

Heaney has an ERA of 8.79 in three September starts after going 2-0 with a 1.82 mark in August. His 3 1/3-inning start Friday against Tampa Bay was his shortest this year and he gave up season highs of 10 hits and three home runs. DJ LeMahieu is 4-for-7 against the 28-year-old Heaney, who yielded a run in 6 1/3 innings in his only prior career start at Yankee Stadium.

Tanaka gave up four runs in each of his last two starts while allowing a total of 16 hits -- six for extra bases -- in nine innings. He was knocked around for six runs in 5 2/3 frames at Los Angeles on April 25 but is 3-1 with a 2.38 ERA in seven career starts versus the Angels. Kole Calhoun is 2-for-14 with six strikeouts against Tanaka, but both hits were home runs.

WALK-OFFS

1. The Yankees are 18-0-3 in their last 21 home series, last losing a set in the Bronx in the middle of April.

2. Angels INF David Fletcher was 3-for-5 on Wednesday and is 13-for-32 over an eight-game stretch.

3. New York OF Giancarlo Stanton (knee) came off the injured list Wednesday and was 1-for-3 in his first game since June 25.

PREDICTION: Yankees 6, Angels 4