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ESPN will host Sunday’s matchup between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Houston Astros, with first pitch set for 7:10 p.m. ET at Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas. Lefty Bailey Falter (0-4, 4.50 ERA) will look to lead Philly to a sweep while the Astros counter with Jose Urquidy (1-2, 5.64).
It won’t fully atone for last year’s World Series loss, but the Phillies have to be satisfied by taking the first two games of this road set against the defending champions. More importantly, though, Philly has finally gotten ace-level performances from Aaron Nola and Zack Wheeler, which will be crucial if they hope to repeat as National League champions as the lineup continues to struggle amid injuries. They’re now 15-13 after weeks spent floating around .500, but still sit third in the NL East.
Houston is dealing with plenty of injuries in their own right, although they did finally get Yordan Alvarez back from his neck strain on Saturday. This isn’t nearly as deep a lineup as we’re used to seeing from the Astros, especially with Jose Abreu mired in a miserable slump, and the team will be relying on its star-studded rotation to carry them until the bats wake up — or at least until Jose Altuve and Michael Brantley return. If there’s a silver lining, it’s that at 14-13 Houston is still somehow second in a bunched-up AL West.
The Astros are currently -145 on the moneyline at DraftKings Sportsbook, while the Phillies check in as +125 underdogs. The run total is set at 9.
Phillies vs. Astros
Pitchers: Bailey Falter vs. Jose Urquidy
First pitch: 7:10 p.m. ET
Phillies local broadcast: N/A
Astros local broadcast: N/A
Live stream: WatchESPN, ESPN app
Moneyline odds: Astros -145, Phillies +125
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 that you need a cable-login subscription. If you don’t have a cable login to access ESPN for a live stream, you can get a free trial from YouTube TV, Hulu with Live TV, AT&T TV Now, FuboTV, or Sling TV to stream the game.