Yankees vs Angels Live: Judge & Stanton Power NY Over Ohtani – Final Score, Highlights & Key Plays

Hot bats, playoff positioning and star-power collide tonight as the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Angels wrap up their three-game set at Angel Stadium in Anaheim. First pitch is scheduled for 9:38 p.m. ET, with Clarke Schmidt (1-2, 4.58 ERA) squaring off against left-hander Yusei Kikuchi (1-4, 3.17 ERA). Aaron Judge’s MVP-caliber tear Judge homered twice in Monday’s opener and added another extra-base hit Tuesday, pushing his league-leading totals to 18 HR and 47 RBI while slashing an eye-popping .397/.487/.759. The Yankees slugger has now reached safely in 24 of his last 25 games, a surge that has helped New York hold first place in the AL East at 32-20. Opposing managers have tried everything from elevated four-seamers to wide-zone breaking balls, but Judge has punished mistakes to all fields. Angels fight without Trout Mike Trout (left hamstring) remains on the 10-day IL, leaving Taylor Ward (.225, 15 HR) and rookie Nolan Schanuel (.281) to pace a lineup that ranks 13th in the AL in runs. Ward’s go-ahead grand slam on Tuesday briefly energized Angel Stadium, but late-inning relief woes sank L.A. again as the bullpen surrendered five runs in the final two frames of an 8-6 loss. The Angels have now dropped six of their last eight, slipping to 25-27 and 4.0 games back in the crowded AL West chase. Pitching matchup to watch • Clarke Schmidt: The right-hander’s cutter has induced a 33 % whiff rate, yet command lapses have led to seven homers over his last five starts. • Yusei Kikuchi: The southpaw thrives on weak contact (31 % hard-hit rate) but must navigate four Yankee right-handed mashers slugging .500+ vs lefties. Key storylines for Yankees vs Angels searchers 1. Judge eyeing another milestone night: one more homer ties him with Lou Gehrig for 4th on the Yankees’ all-time May HR list. 2. Angels’ bullpen shuffle: Manager Ron Washington hinted pre-game that righty Ben Joyce could see the ninth if closer Carlos Estévez falters again. 3. Trade-deadline stakes: Multiple scouts from pitching-needy contenders, including the Dodgers and Phillies, were spotted charting Schmidt’s warm-ups on Tuesday. What each club needs tonight New York seeks a sweep and its sixth win in seven games before heading back east. L.A. needs length from Kikuchi to protect a taxed bullpen that threw 164 pitches over the first two games. Early offense will be critical—Los Angeles is 17-6 when scoring first, 8-21 when playing from behind. Bottom line With Judge in historic form and the Angels desperate to stay relevant without Trout, the latest chapter of Yankees vs Angels promises prime-time drama and major playoff ramifications. Stay tuned for live updates, post-game quotes and full highlights as this West Coast showdown unfolds.