Shohei Ohtani certainly could dominate for the Angels, although his one career start at Yankee Stadium last year was awful and he wasn't great last time out, either. New York is 23-10 vs. right-handers this year. The Halos are 8-7 vs. lefties and face one of the best in the business in unlikely Cy Young contender Nestor Cortes (1.70 ERA). The former journeyman has allowed three earned or fewer in 18 straight starts, two shy of the franchise record. He has allowed 2 ER or fewer in eight of nine this year. I just don't get it. No Brandon Marsh or Anthony Rendon (he's on IL) for the Angels, who are on their longest skid of the season at six in a row.

The Angels have now lost six straight games and they face one of the best pitchers in the league this season. I constantly feel like Nestor Cortes Jr. will regress to his mean, then I watch him pitch and the swings just tell me something completely different. He’s very hard to square up, and the Yankees have one of the best bullpens in the league to back him up. They also aren’t really sitting anyone in Game 1. Shohei Ohtani could have success but the Angels have had no success with their bullpen behind him. I like the Yankees in Game 1.

Shohei Ohtani has not done well in recent starts and the Angels are mired in a six-game losing streak. The Yankees are cheap because of him. Ohtani recorded 10 strikeouts against Toronto in his last outing but yielded five runs over six innings en route to a loss. The Angels have lost Ohtani’s last three starts. The Yankees have won Nestor Cortes’ last four turns as he allowed just five runs in that span. Take New York to win.