Friday’s Phillies-Astros game won’t be on NBC Sports Philadelphia. Neither will Sunday’s.
Phillies fan will need to log into Apple TV+ to watch Friday night's World Series rematch against the Houston Astros.
The Phillies take on the Houston Astros Friday in a rematch of last year’s World Series, but good luck finding the game on TV.
For the second time in a week, the Phillies game will be stuck behind the paywall of a streaming service. This time it’s Apple TV+, which is streaming Phillies-Astros as part of its Friday Night Baseball slate, which features two exclusive MLB games each week.
The timing couldn’t be worse. The Phillies just evened their record at 13-13 for the first time this season after winning their most recent series against the Seattle Mariners. Aaron Nola (1-2, 5.40 ERA) is scheduled to take the mound against the Astros in Houston, where he’ll face lefty Frambler Valdez (2-2, 2.25 ERA).
If you want to avoid the hassle, you can tune in to listen on 94.1 WIP, with Scott Franzke and Kevin Stocker calling all three games. But if you want to see all the action, here’s everything you need to know to watch or stream this weekend’s Phillies games:
Friday night, you’ll need Apple TV+
First up is Friday’s game against the Astros, which will stream on Apple TV+.
Last year, the games were free to watch on the tech giant’s streaming platform — viewers just had to create an account. This year, Apple placed its MLB games behind its subscription wall, which runs $6.99 a month.
Apple is running a two-month free trial for all new users, as long as you use this coupon. The Phillies second game schedule to stream exclusively on Apple TV+ is June 23 against the New York Mets, which would fall within the free trial period.
Once you have an account set up, all you need to do is download the Apple TV+ app or watch the game on their website (The Apple TV+ app isn’t available on Android phones). Here is a full set of instructions.
Calling the game will be play-by-play announcer Rich Waltz, who will be joined in the broadcast by analyst Ryan Spilborghs and reporter Tricia Whitaker.
If you don’t want to set up an Apple TV+ account, you might find the game at bars and restaurants around Philadelphia, thanks to Apple’s distribution deal with DirecTV. Just call ahead to make sure.
Saturday’s game will air on NBC Sports Philadelphia
The second game of the three-game series will be back on NBC Sports Philadelphia on Saturday, with first pitch scheduled for 5:10 p.m. and Tom McCarthy on the call.
Phillies Pregame Live, hosted by Michael Barkann, is scheduled to start at 4:30 p.m. Phillies Postgame Live will immediately follow the final out.
Zach Wheeler (2-1, 4.73 ERA) is scheduled to take the mound against Astros righty Christian Javier (2-0, 3.21 ERA).
Sunday’s game is back on ESPN
The Phillies will be back on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball for their final game of the series against the Astros.
First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m., and calling the game will be ESPN announcers Karl Ravech, David Cone, and Eduardo Perez. They’ll also roll out their KayRod simulcast on ESPN2 featuring Alex Rodriguez and New York Yankees announcer Michael Kay, with a guest list that includes Phillies announcer John Kruk and U.S. soccer star and Delran native Carli Lloyd.
The Phillies appeared on ESPN earlier this month, when rehabbing slugger Bryce Harper got the announcers’ attention with a pitch clock comment during an in-game interview.
“I know a lot of players that want our game back, right?” Harper said when asked about getting used to the pitch clock as he returns from injury. “As of right now, it is what it is.”
While Harper has recovered faster than expected after undergoing Tommy John surgery in November, there remains no public timeline for his return. Harper and the team have said they’re leaning toward skipping a minor league rehab assignment entirely.
“If I slide feet first and hit my right arm on the ground, it’s the same thing,” Harper told reporters last week. “I could sprain my arm and be out for five, six, seven months. There’s no reason to rush that. I need to be smart in what I do. I’m not going to rush anything out there because it does nothing good for our organization if I come back the fastest and not the smartest.”
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Phillies upcoming schedule
Phillies at Houston Astros
Game 1: Friday, 8:10 p.m. (Apple TV+)
Game 2: Saturday, 5:10 p.m. (NBCSP, WIP)
Game 3: Sunday, 7:10 p.m. (ESPN, WIP)
Phillies at Los Angeles Dodgers
Game 1: Monday, 10:10 p.m. (NBCSP, WIP)
Game 2: Tuesday, 10:10 p.m. (NBCSP, WIP)
Game 3: Wednesday, 4:10 p.m. (NBCSP, WIP)
Red Sox at Phillies
Game 1: Friday, May 5, 7:05 p.m. (NBCSP, WIP)
Game 2: Saturday, May 6, 7:15 p.m. (NBCSP, WIP)
Game 3: Sunday, May 7, 1:35 p.m. (NBCSP, WIP)