How to Watch the MLB Wild Card Series Without Cable

· Rolling Stone

The MLB Wild Card is underway. The best-of-three tournament is on its second, possibly final day for some teams. Eight teams are competing for four spots in the Division Series. Day One saw the Tigers beat the Astros 3-1 in Houston, the Royals take down the Orioles in Baltimore 1-0, and the Mets clinch an 8-4 win over the Brewers. The only team able to utilize its home-field advantage was the Padres, who beat the Braves 4-0 in San Diego.

At a Glance: How to Watch The MLB Wild Card

The race for a spot in the National League Wild Card Series concluded in dramatic fashion on Monday following the New York Mets doubleheader against the Atlanta Braves. The Arizona Diamondbacks’ fate hung in the balance as they watched from the sidelines, needing one of the teams to sweep to advance.

The Mets clinched an 8-7 win in the first game, and the Braves beat the Mets 3-0 in the second game, shutting the D-Backs out.

What MLB Teams Are In The Playoffs?

The New York Mets and Atlanta Braves joined the San Diego Padres and Milwaukee Brewers to round out the NL Wild Card. The Wild Card matchups on the American League side consist of the Baltimore Orioles, Kansas City Royals, Houston Astros, and Detroit Tigers. The New York Yankees sit atop the AL leaderboard followed by the Cleveland Guardians, while the Los Angeles Dodgers lead the NL followed by the Philadelphia Phillies.

The Detroit Tigers are facing off against the Astros in Houston, followed by Kansas City at Baltimore, New York at Milwaukee, and Atlanta at San Diego. Fans can catch the entire postseason lineup at the MLB website.

How To Watch The MLB Wild Card Series Online

The earlier Wild Card games, starting at 2:30, will be carried by ABC, while ESPN or ESPN2 will carry the later games. That means the best way to catch all of the action live is with a live TV streaming service, such as DirecTV Stream or Fubo.

DirecTV Stream

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DirecTV Stream carries ABC, ESPN, and ESPN2 in its most affordable package, the Entertainment package. You can save $10/mo, dropping the price to $59.99/mo. DirecTV also offers a five-day free trial.

FuboTV

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Fubo‘s live-streaming service is particularly popular with sports fans, and includes dedicated channels for different MLB teams. Fubo also includes ESPN, ESPN2, and ABC. Channels start at $79.99/mo, with $49.99/mo for the first month after a 7-day free trial.

Hulu + Live TV

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Hulu with a Live TV add-on is a great option for sports fans and families, as you’ll get access to Hulu, ESPN+, and Disney+, plus a wide array of cable and antenna channels. Hulu offers a 3-day free trial, and plans start at $76.99/mo.

Sling

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Though its offerings are smaller, Sling offers one of the best values for sports fans looking for an affordable live streaming package. You’ll need to add both the blue and orange packages if you want ABC, ESPN and ESPN2 together. The Orange and Blue package costs $60, or $35 for the first month. However, Sling does not have a free trial.

What Is the MLB Wild Card Series?

The Wild Card system has been tweaked several times since its inception, so even MLB fans may be confused as to how it works. The current iteration has been in place since 2022, with four teams from each league facing off. In the best-of-three match-up, the higher-seeded team will host each game. This replaced the previous format, which was a single Wild Card Game.

MLB Wild Card Series Schedule

Whether you want to catch all of the action, or just want to tune into your favorite team, you can see the full Wild Card schedule below. The Wild Card games are played as a best-of-three, so Thursday’s games will only be played if necessary. That makes today’s games a must-win for Houston, Baltimore, Milwaukee, and Atlanta.

Wild Card Games on Tuesday, October 1

  • Detroit (W) at Houston
  • Kansas City (W) at Baltimore
  • New York Mets (W) at Milwaukee
  • Atlanta at San Diego (W)

Wild Card Games on Wednesday, October 2

  • Detroit at Houston, 2:32 PM ET, ABC
  • Kansas City at Baltimore, 4:38 PM ET, ESPN
  • New York Mets at Milwaukee, 7:38 PM ET, ESPN
  • Atlanta at San Diego, 8:38 PM ET, ESPN2

Wild Card Games on Thursday, October 3

  • Detroit at Houston, 2:32 PM ET, ABC (If necessary)
  • Kansas City at Baltimore, 4:08 PM ET, ESPN (If necessary)
  • New York Mets at Milwaukee, 7:08 PM ET, ESPN (If necessary)
  • Atlanta at San Diego, 8:38 PM ET, ESPN2 (If necessary)