The Chicago Cubs start the 2017 season against the St. Louis Cardinals. Here’s what you need to know to watch the game on TV and online.
The 2017 Major League Baseball season has finally arrived and the World Series Champion Chicago Cubs are taking on their division rival St. Louis Cardinals.
With the curse broken, the Cubs must defend their World Series title as they look to win back to back championships. The competition is fierce in 2017 with the Cleveland Indians primed and ready to go all the way and finally bring the pennant back to Cleveland.
The St. Louis Cardinals finished the 2016 season with a 86-76 record, good for second place in the National League Central division. They need to work hard if they hope to find themselves at the top of the division given that they have to get through the Cubs to get there.
San Francisco Giants (0-0) at Arizona Diamondbacks (0-0)
Date: April 2, 2017
Location: St. Louis, Missouri
Ballpark: Busch Stadium
Start Time: 8:35pm ET
Channel: ESPN
Live Stream: MLB TV and WatchESPN
The Cubs will have lefty Jon Lester on the mound for the first game of the 2017 season. Lester was 19-5 in 2016, with a 2.44 ERA in 202.7 innings of work. St. Louis will have right handed pitcher Carlos Martinez starting out. Martinez had a solid year, going 16-9 with an ERA of 3.04 over 195.3 innings of work.
There is a lot of history between these two teams. 2017 marks the Cardinals’ 125th season, and it’s not the only time they have played the Cubs following a World Series victory; the Cardinals played the Cubs on Opening Day in 1909.
Next: Best live streams to watch sports and TV shows
ESPN will have exclusive coverage of Opening Day 2017 with all three Sunday games airing back to back to back.