NEW YORK, NY - JULY 23: Masahiro Tanaka #19 of the New York Yankees walks off the mound after being removed in the eighth inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Yankee Stadium on July 23, 2015 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)
The first official game of the 2017 MLB season will take place this afternoon, as the New York Yankees will take on the Tampa Bay Rays in an Opening Day clash. These AL East foes both missed out on the playoffs last year, with the Yankees going 84-78 to finish in fourth place and the Rays ending up in the cellar due to a dreadful 68-94 campaign.
2014 All-Star Masahiro Tanaka will toe the rubber for the Yankees, and he is coming off his best season in the MLB. The 28-year-old righty from Japan went 14-4 with a 3.07 ERA and 1.08 WHIP while striking out 165 batters over 199.2 innings.
Chris Archer is getting the starting nod for the Rays, and the 28-year-old righty will look to put last year’s disappointing season in the rear-view mirror. After three straight years of having an ERA between 3.22 and 3.33, Archer had some unexpected struggles in 2016. The former All-Star went 9-19 with a 4.02 ERA and 1.24 WHIP, and he struck out 233 batters over 201.1 innings.
Now that we’ve examined the pitching matchup, let’s breakdown all of the different ways you can watch the game.
New York Yankees vs. Tampa Bay Rays Viewing Details
Date: Sunday, April 2, 2017
Time: 1:00 P.M. EST
Location: Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida
TV Channel: ESPN (Check local listings.)
How To Live Stream New York Yankees vs. Tampa Bay Rays Online
Your best bet for watching the Yankees battle the Rays via a live stream is WatchESPN. You will need your log-in and password information for your cable or satellite provider and you’re good to go.
If you don’t have access to a cable or satellite log-in, you can watch the game through Sling TV. Sling TV is a service that allows subscribers to watch live and on-demand TV channels on TVs, computers, or mobile devices for a monthly fee. It’s just like a cable or satellite TV service, except it’s delivered over the internet. The service’s Orange package includes ESPN and costs $20 a month, but you can sign up for a free seven-day trial. If you cancel your subscription within the week, you will not be charged. Once signed up, simply download the app for your computer to start watching.
You can also live stream ESPN online through DIRECTV NOW. DIRECTV offers a free seven-day trial, so you will receive a full week free before your paid membership begins. If you cancel your subscription within the seven day period, you will not be charged. DIRECTV NOW is available on Desktop, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV and Chromecast.
Watch New York Yankees vs. Tampa Bay Rays On Phone, Tablet Or Mobile
If you can’t watch today’s game on your TV or computer, the Worldwide Leader has you covered with the WatchESPN app. As long as you have a cable or satellite provider, you can download the app for free in the App Store, Google Play, Amazon Store, or Windows Store.
You can also watch the game on the Sling app. Sign up for a free Sling trial and download their app from the App Store or Google Play. There is also a Sling app for Apple TV, Roku, Chromecast, and Amazon Fire TV.
DIRECTV has a DIRECTV NOW app on App Store and Google Play where you can watch ESPN for free, using your seven-day trial. You must cancel it before the trial period ends.
