The New York Yankees head to Target Field on Wednesday, September 16 for a 1:40 PM ET matinee against the Minnesota Twins. Carlos Rodón gets the ball for New York against Twins right-hander Zebby Matthews in a regular-season clash that carries real weight as September winds down. The Yankees are looking to keep the pressure on and pick up a road win in Minneapolis. Catch the action on YES Network or WFAN 660/101.9 FM if you're making the commute.

Pitching Matchup: Carlos Rodón vs. Zebby Matthews

Rodón is the veteran presence New York leans on when they need a quality start on the road. The left-hander has faced the Twins before and knows what it takes to navigate a lineup that can grind at-bats and make pitchers work. His ability to control the game tempo will be central to whatever the Yankees hope to accomplish this afternoon.

Matthews is a young arm working to establish himself at the major-league level. He presents some unknowns for a Yankees lineup that will be seeing him without a deep statistical book to lean on. That unpredictability cuts both ways — unfamiliar pitchers can be disruptive early — but the Yankees have enough lineup depth to make adjustments as the game progresses.

Yankees Lineup to Watch

Aaron Judge slots into the three-hole in right field, the anchor this lineup is built around. Cody Bellinger bats second in left, giving the Yankees a left-handed presence before Judge steps in. Luis García Jr. hits cleanup at first base, and Spencer Jones draws the five-spot in center.

• Ben Rice (DH, leadoff) — Gets things started at the top; his on-base ability sets the table.
• Aaron Judge (RF, 3rd) — The most dangerous hitter in the lineup and the player Minnesota's pitching staff cannot afford to lose track of.
• Anthony Volpe (2B, 9th) — Batting ninth, Volpe functions as a secondary table-setter who can turn the lineup over.
• Austin Wells (C, 8th) — Wells rounds out the bottom of the order and gives the Yankees left-handed pop late in counts.

Minnesota Twins Lineup Threats

The Twins are running out a lineup that includes Ryan Jeffers at catcher hitting third and Royce Lewis at third base batting sixth. Lewis is a name the Yankees cannot sleep on — he has the ability to change a game with one swing. Emmanuel Rodriguez in center and Josh Bell at DH provide depth throughout the order. This is not a Minnesota lineup the Yankees can take lightly, even in a day game on the road.

Keys to the Game

• Rodón's early command — If he's locating his fastball and slider, he can set the tone before the Twins have a chance to build a crooked number.
• Handling Matthews early — Unfamiliar arms can get through a lineup once. The Yankees need to take quality at-bats from pitch one and not let Matthews settle in.
• Judge in the middle — With runners potentially on base ahead of him via Rice and Bellinger, Judge's at-bats in the first three innings could define the game's early momentum.
• Bullpen management — A 1:40 PM start on the road means the backend of both bullpens matters. Whoever gets to their relievers first at the right moment gains the edge.

Prediction

Rodón is the more experienced arm in this matchup, and the Yankees lineup has enough firepower — led by Judge — to solve a young starter over the course of nine innings. Minnesota will battle at home, and Royce Lewis is always a threat to flip the script. But give the edge to New York in a close one. Yankees 5, Twins 3.