The start of this MLB season has been like no other. With expanded playoffs set to take place after a shortened season, there’s little time for mistakes or errors. That drastically increases the gravity of this Houston Astros vs. San Diego Padres series that ends on Sunday afternoon.
To keep up with this pivotal matchup, you’ll need access to ESPN. There are a variety of streaming platforms that offer ESPN as part of their packages. Of that grouping, is one of the best options because of its wide range of programming and easy-to-use software. Still, you have a handful of options to explore.
What to watch for in the Houston Astros vs. San Diego Padres game:
There are strong similarities between the Astros and Padres. Each team ranks second in the Western division of their respective conferences and has a long way to go before overtaking that top spot. Offensively, these teams are near the best in the major leagues with solid hitting throughout the roster — though the Padres have been the more successful in that category.
In a game featuring stars up and down the box score, all eyes will be on one player: Fernando Tatis Jr. At only 21-years-old, the shortstop is taking the league by storm with 35 hits through the early portion of this season. Not only does he lead his team in hits, home runs and runs batted in, but he ranks near the top of the entire league in home runs and RBIs as well.
It’s been a team effort for the Padres with eight players tallying at least 15 hits so far this season. Third baseman Manny Machado remains one of the biggest names in the sport and is adding to his resume with another successful season, but it remains that Tatis is the top-dog in San Diego these days.
Houston is deploying their own firepower to retaliate with righty pitcher Zack Greinke slated to start. The 36-year-old was traded by the Arizona Diamondbacks last season and has been great for the 2017 World Series champions. Greinke’s ERA is amongst the best of all pitchers through the early portion of the season and will provide a major challenge for this talented Padres offense.
How to watch the Houston Astros vs. San Diego Padres:
You won’t want to miss what’ll be one of the better matchups of the season thus far. Both of these teams have a lot to play for, which is why it was picked up to be broadcast at 4:00 p.m. EST on ESPN. For those of you without a cable package that airs ESPN programming, there are a variety of routes to proceed with.
First off, offers ESPN at $54.99 per month, which is about standard for these sorts of things. That price point gets you 65+ channels, depending on your market, including most of the top sports programming. This service is catered in many ways toward the sports fans of the world, so it’ll get you access to a lot of the great MLB action available this year.
Another option is , which has multiple packages and varieties to proceed with. ESPN is pretty standard for Sling, so go through your options to decide which is the best fit for your streaming needs. There’s also at the $54.99 monthly pricepoint and , which matches that same monthly rate. Between the groupings, there are some differences in channels offered, but they’ll each get you set for Sunday’s game.
is a bit pricier at $64.99, but it’s catered more toward those who are used to YouTube’s interface and want to use it for their live streaming needs.
