Getty Images PITTSBURGH, PA - OCTOBER 04: Albert Pujols #5 of the St. Louis Cardinals bats in the first inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the game at PNC Park on October 4, 2022 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)
Back in the postseason for the first time in 11 years, the Philadelphia Phillies will take on the NL Central champion St. Louis Cardinals in one-half of the NL Wild Card round this weekend.
Game 1 (Friday, 2:07 p.m. ET) will be on ABC, and Games 2 (Saturday, 8:37 p.m. ET) and 3 (Sunday, 8:37 p.m. ET) will be on ESPN2, but if you don’t have cable, you can watch a live stream of every wild-card game on FuboTV or DirecTV Stream, which both come with a free trial.
Those are the two best live stream options if you’re cutting cable, but there are also some other alternatives, so here’s a full guide on the different ways you can watch a live stream of the Phillies vs Cardinals online:
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FuboTV
You can watch a live stream of ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 and 100-plus other live TV channels on FuboTV, which comes with a free seven-day trial:
Once signed up for FuboTV, you can watch the Phillies vs Cardinals live on the FuboTV app or FuboTV website.
Compatible devices for the FuboTV app include Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One or Series X/S, Samsung TV, LG TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet.
You can also watch the games live on the ESPN app or ESPN.com. You’ll need to sign in to a cable provider to watch this way, but you can use your Fubo credentials to do that.
DirecTV Stream
DirecTV Stream has four different channel packages: “Entertainment,” “Choice,” “Ultimate” and “Premier.” ABC, ESPN and ESPN2 are included in every one, and you can pick any package and any add-on you want with your free five-day trial:
Once signed up for DirecTV Stream, you can watch the Phillies vs Cardinals live on the DirecTV Stream app or DirecTV Stream website.
Compatible devices for the DirecTV Stream app include Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Samsung TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet.
You can also watch the games live on the ESPN app or ESPN.com. You’ll need to sign in to a cable provider to watch this way, but you can use your DirecTV Stream credentials to do that.
Sling TV
You can watch a live stream of ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3 (which simulcasts ABC games) and 40-plus other live TV channels via Sling TV’s “Sling Orange” bundle. This option doesn’t include a free trial, but it’s the cheapest long-term streaming service with the ESPN channels, and you can your first month for half off:
Once signed up for Sling TV, you can watch the Phillies vs Cardinals live on the Sling TV app or Sling TV website.
Compatible devices for the Sling TV app include Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One or Series X/S, Samsung TV, LG TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), airTV Mini, Oculus, Portal, iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet.
You can also watch the games live on the ESPN app or ESPN.com. You’ll need to sign in to a cable provider to watch this way, but you can use your Sling credentials to do that.
Hulu With Live TV
You can watch a live stream of ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 and 65+ other TV channels via Hulu With Live TV, which now also includes access to both ESPN+ and Disney+ at no added cost:
Once signed up for Hulu With Live TV, you can watch the Phillies vs Cardinals live on the Hulu app or Hulu website.
Compatible devices for the Hulu app include Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One or Series X/S, PlayStation 4 or 5, Nintendo Switch, Samsung TV, LG TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet.
You can also watch the games live on the ESPN app or ESPN.com. You’ll need to sign in to a cable provider to watch this way, but you can use your Hulu credentials to do that.
Vidgo
You can watch a live stream of ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 and 65+ other TV channels on Vidgo, which does not come with a free trial:
Once signed up for Vidgo, you can watch the Phillies vs Cardinals live on the Vidgo app or Vidgo website.
Compatible devices for the Vidgo app include Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV, or Firestick, Apple TV, Chromecast, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad, or Android tablet.
You can also watch the games live on the ESPN app or ESPN.com. You’ll need to sign in to a cable provider to watch this way, but you can use your Vidgo credentials to do that.
Phillies vs Cardinals Preview
This should make for an interesting series as the two teams have been as close as possible in their seven meetings this season. The Phillies won the season series 4-3, but only outscored the Cardinals 22-20 in the seven games.
However, Zach Wheeler, who will start game one has been a Cardinals killer this season. In his two starts against the Cardinals this season he pitched 14 scoreless innings. The Cardinals haven’t announced what their rotation will be yet for the series.
The two teams’ season stats are even really similar. The Phillies hit .254 as a team this season, while the Cardinals have hit .252. St. Louis has scored more runs with 769 runs to the Phillies’ 745 runs this season.
The Phillies on the other hand have had more power hitting 205 home runs to the Cardinals’ 197 home runs. Kyle Schwarber has led the way for Philadelphia with 46 home runs and 94 RBI, while Paul Goldschmidt has led the Cardinal in all three major hitting categories, batting .317 with 35 home runs and 115 RBI.
Nolan Arenado has also been a big bat in the order for St. Louis, batting .292 with 30 home runs and 102 RBI. The Phillies have gotten big contributions at the plate from Rhys Hoskins and J.T. Realmuto. Hoskins has hit 30 home runs with 78 RBI, while Realmuto has 22 home runs and 84 RBI.
In terms of pitching staff, the Cardinals have a slight edge with an ERA of 3.78, while the Phillies have an ERA of 3.97. Defensively the teams are also practically equal as the Cardinals have a fielding percentage of .989 and the Phillies are at .988.
The biggest advantage that the Cardinals have in this series is home-field advantage as their 93-68 record earned them the three seed in the National League. The Phillies’ 87-74 record this season has them slotted in the sixth and final playoff spot.
The Cardinals have been terrific at home this season with a record of 53-28. The Phillies on the other hand have been an average road team with a record of 40-40 so far.
The Cardinals are a slight favorite to win this series, but clearly not much has separated the two teams this season. Game one with Wheeler on the mound will be huge for both teams.
For the Phillies, it will give them an opportunity to steal game one and set the tone for the series. If the Cardinals can crack Wheeler though it will certainly boost their confidence early in the postseason and getting hot at the right time can go a long way in October.