The Minnesota Twins head to Anaheim for a Friday night matchup against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium, with first pitch set for 9:38 PM ET on September 18, 2026. Connor Prielipp gets the ball for Minnesota against Grayson Rodriguez for the Angels. With the regular season winding down, every game carries weight in the standings, and the Twins need contributions from their younger arms to close out the year strong. This one is a late West Coast start, so set the alarm — or tune in on WCCO 830 or Twins.TV Presented by Progressive.

Pitching Matchup: Prielipp vs. Rodriguez at Angel Stadium

Connor Prielipp draws the start for the Twins. The left-hander has had opportunities to prove himself at the big league level, and a road start against the Angels late in the regular season is exactly the kind of stage where young pitchers either build momentum or expose their limitations. The scouting report on Prielipp centers on his stuff — he has the raw ability to miss bats — but consistency and command will be the determining factors in how deep he can go into this ballgame.

On the other side, the Angels send Grayson Rodriguez to the mound. Rodriguez is a name Twins fans have tracked since his days coming up through the Baltimore system, a pitcher with legitimate front-of-rotation potential. He presents a legitimate challenge for Minnesota's lineup, so the Twins will need quality at-bats from top to bottom to generate any offensive momentum.

Angels Lineup to Watch

The Angels are fielding a lineup that features one of the most recognizable names in baseball. Here is what Twins pitching will face:

• Zach Neto leading off as the designated hitter
• Mike Trout batting second in center field — yes, that Mike Trout
• Jose Siri in left field batting third
• Vaughn Grissom at first base hitting cleanup
• Denzer Guzman at third base batting fifth
• Oswald Peraza at shortstop in the six hole
• Travis d'Arnaud behind the plate batting seventh
• Christian Moore at second base hitting eighth
• Wade Meckler in right field batting ninth

Trout in the two spot means Prielipp cannot afford to let Neto reach base without consequences. The Angels have enough offensive pieces in this lineup to punish mistakes, so location and execution will matter from the first pitch.

Keys to the Game for Minnesota

• Prielipp's command: If he can locate his pitches and keep the Angels off the bases in the early innings, Minnesota stays in this game. Any extended outings against the middle of this lineup will put the bullpen in a difficult spot on the road.
• Handling Trout: Mike Trout batting second means he will see the plate frequently. Pitching around him creates problems with lineup protection; challenging him requires a solid plan and sharp execution.
• Early offense against Rodriguez: The longer Rodriguez settles in, the harder he becomes to crack. Minnesota needs to make him work early in counts and generate traffic on the bases before he finds his rhythm.
• Late-inning bullpen depth: Road games on the West Coast often come down to the back end of the bullpen. The Twins need clean innings from their relievers if Prielipp exits before the sixth.

Prediction

This is a tough ask for Prielipp in what shapes up as a genuine pitching test against a motivated Angels club at home. Rodriguez has the profile to dominate, and the Angels lineup has enough punch to make life difficult. That said, if Prielipp delivers five solid innings and Minnesota's offense puts together a couple of crooked numbers early, the Twins have a path. Call it a 5-3 Angels win in a game that is closer than the final score suggests. The Twins will need to show up ready from the first pitch — not after falling into an early hole on the road.