ESPN+ will host Wednesday’s matchup between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Chicago Cubs with first pitch set for 6:30 p.m. ET at Wrigley Field in Chicago, IL. The Rays will start Drew Rasmussen (0-1, 5.00 ERA) while the Cubs will send Marcus Stroman (0-1, 6.00 ERA) to the mound. This is the final game of their three-game series with the series tied 1-1.
Tampa Bay (6-6) is coming off a win but is 2-5 in their last seven games. They have the talent to perform better, it just hasn’t clicked in the early part of the season. Wander Franco is hitting .404 and Ji-Man Choi is hitting .423, but other than those two players, the rest of their lineup is underperforming. Rasmussen has started two games this season and has pitched nine innings and given up eight hits and five earned runs while only striking out five.
Chicago (6-5) is in a better position than many thought it would be even being 2-3 in their last five games. The Cubs have enjoyed seeing right field import Seiya Suzuki show what he is capable of hitting .414 through 11 games. In a rebuilding lineup, they have four players already sitting with double-digit hits. Stroman has pitched in two games so far this season and in nine innings has given up eight hits and six earned runs while striking out seven.
Rays vs. Cubs
Pitchers: Drew Rasmussen vs. Marcus Stroman
First pitch: 6:30 p.m. ET
Rays local broadcast: Bally Sports Sun
Cubs local broadcast: Marquee Sports Network
Live stream: WatchESPN, ESPN app with ESPN+
Moneyline odds: Tampa Bay -110, Chicago -110
If you aren’t around a TV to check out this MLB matchup, you can stream the game via WatchESPN or the ESPN app. But keep in mind — you’ll need a subscription to ESPN+. You can subscribe to ESPN+ on the ESPN website, where you can get a monthly subscription for $5.99, or get the ESPN/Disney/Hulu bundle for $13.99 per month.