ANAHEIM — The New York Yankees defeated the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium on Wednesday, extending their advantage in the American League wild card race as the regular season enters its final month.

The result proved critical for the Yankees, who arrived on the West Coast fighting to secure home-field advantage for the opening round of the postseason. The Angels, well out of contention in the AL West, posed little obstacle to the stronger visiting side.

Manager Aaron Boone leaned on his rotation and a productive top of the order, with Aaron Judge again central to New York's run production. The Yankees' offense has ranked among the most potent in the American League through August.

The win added to momentum for the Yankees heading into a compressed September schedule filled with divisional matchups critical to playoff seeding. Boone said before the series that every game against non-contenders remained essential to maintaining focus.

The Angels continued to evaluate younger players and roster depth ahead of a winter of significant roster changes under General Manager Perry Minasian.