The New York Yankees welcome the Colorado Rockies to Yankee Stadium on Wednesday, September 9, for a 7:05 PM ET first pitch. Will Warren gets the ball for New York against Colorado's Tomoyuki Sugano in what is a meaningful stretch of the regular season schedule. With the Bronx faithful packed into the stands and YES Network carrying the action, this is a game the Yankees need to handle at home against a Rockies club that has struggled to compete at altitude — let alone in the Bronx.

Starting Pitchers: Will Warren vs. Tomoyuki Sugano

Will Warren draws the start for the Yankees. The right-hander has been working his way through the rotation this season and gets a matchup that, on paper, sets him up to succeed. Warren will need to work efficiently, attack hitters early in counts, and keep the ball in the park — Yankee Stadium's short porch makes command a premium regardless of the opponent.

On the other side, Tomoyuki Sugano makes the start for Colorado. The veteran right-hander brings experience to the mound, but the Rockies' offense has not provided him much of a supporting cast this season. Sugano will look to keep the Yankees' lineup off balance with location and tempo rather than overpowering stuff.

Yankees Starting Lineup

• Ben Rice — DH
• Cody Bellinger — LF
• Aaron Judge — RF
• Luis García Jr. — 1B
• Spencer Jones — CF
• George Lombard Jr. — SS
• Ryan McMahon — 3B
• Austin Wells — C
• José Caballero — 2B

Rockies Starting Lineup

• Jake McCarthy — CF
• Cole Carrigg — SS
• TJ Rumfield — 1B
• Hunter Goodman — DH
• Mickey Moniak — RF
• Kyle Karros — 3B
• Brett Sullivan — C
• Connor Norby — 2B
• Zac Veen — LF

Keys to Watch on Wednesday Night

• Aaron Judge in the middle of the order: Hitting third, Judge remains the engine of this offense. Any time Sugano falls behind Judge in the count, this lineup has a chance to do real damage around him.
• Warren's command against a free-swinging Colorado lineup: The Rockies have hitters who will expand the zone. If Warren can establish both sides of the plate early, he controls the tempo of the game.
• Spencer Jones in center: The young outfielder draws a prominent lineup spot. How Jones handles a full Yankee Stadium crowd and a veteran starter will be worth monitoring.
• Austin Wells behind the plate: Wells calling a game for Warren against a lineup he likely hasn't faced much this season is a chess match worth watching from the first inning.

Prediction

The Yankees should have the edge here at home. Warren keeps the Rockies in check through five or six innings, the lineup does enough damage against Sugano in the middle frames, and the Bronx walks away with a win. Call it Yankees 6, Rockies 2. This is the kind of game New York needs to protect at Yankee Stadium heading into the final weeks of the regular season.