Yoshinobu Yamamoto looks to continue his dominant stretch when the "Dodgers" host their crosstown rivals on Monday. The Japanese ace enters the matchup against the "Angels" after allowing just one run across his last 13 innings of work, showcasing why he's become the undisputed leader of the Dodgers' rotation in the second half of the 2025 MLB season.
The pitching matchup heavily favors the "Dodgers" with Yamamoto's recent excellence starkly contrasting with Jose Soriano's struggles. The "Angels" starter was hammered for seven earned runs in his last outing against the Rays and ranks in the bottom 10 percent of qualified starters in hard-hit rate - not exactly what you want when facing one of baseball's most potent lineups.
Interestingly, the "Dodgers" offense has found new life since Max Muncy returned to the lineup last week, giving them additional firepower as they look to bounce back from Sunday's disappointing defeat.
Over in the American League, Garrett Crochet takes the mound for the "Red Sox" against the "Astros" in another compelling Monday matchup. Crochet has been nearly untouchable lately, surrendering just five runs across his last 28 innings. That's ace-level production.
"Houston" will counter with Cristian Javier, whose 4.56 xERA suggests he might be due for some regression against Boston's top-10 lineup. The "Astros" just rolled through the struggling "Yankees" on Sunday, but they'll face a much tougher test against a "Red Sox" team playing significantly better baseball than their division rivals.
Do either of these underdogs stand a chance? With the pitching mismatches on display, it's difficult to envision either the "Angels" or "Astros" leading after five innings on Monday - but then again, that's why they play the games, right?
