Game day is finally here! After so many delays, Major League Baseball has returned with, as the Genie from Aladdin might say, "a few, uh, provisos... a couple of quid pro quos." The biggest change, of course, is that at least at first there won't be any fans in the stands. That means if you want to see the games, even if you live nearby and usually go to the ballpark, you're going to have to watch from the comfort of your own home. We have already shared how to watch pretty much any baseball game from anywhere, but here we're specifically going to talk about how to watch the Boston Red Sox vs. Baltimore Orioles game.
The Red Sox vs. Orioles is an AL East divisional matchup from two teams that had less than spectacular years in 2019. Both teams missed the playoffs. However, with only 60 games in the season there's no telling where teams will end up. This could be a comeback year for either clubhouse, and really all they need to do is get hot at the right time to swing the division in a specific direction.
Baseball seasons are usually a marathon. Endurance is the name of the game and making it through 162 games is often extremely taxing even on the best of players. That's not going to be 2020, though. This season is a sprint from start to finish, and the team that opens up hot is going to be hard to take down. Expect the Red Sox and Orioles both vying for this win to get their seasons off on the right food.
Red Sox vs. Orioles: Where and when?
The game will take place on July 24 at 7:30 p.m. Eastern. It will be played at Fenway Park in Boston, Mass. There is no in-person attendance so the stadium will be mostly empty. The Red Sox will play all three opening games against the Orioles at home. The Orioles' first home game is Wednesday, July 29, against the Miami Marlins.
How to watch the Red Sox vs. Orioles
Watching baseball can be hard if you're not a cable subscriber. The Red Sox vs. Orioles game, for example, is only airing on TV through regional sports broadcasters, the New England Sports Network for Boston and the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network for the Baltimore area. The Orioles are the trickier team to watch, especially if you don't have a cable subscription with access to MASN because that network is not available for live streaming pretty much anywhere.
Your best bet for watching the Orioles will be the MLB.TV app. This lets you stream every game live. The die hard fans can pay the $59.99 annual fee to watch all out-of-market games. Or you can go with $24.99 for one month to see if it works for you. The third plan is $49.99 but only focuses on one team if you're really just into how that team will perform. You can also access MLB.TV in other ways like through Prime Video.
It's important to keep in mind that blackout restrictions still apply with MLB.TV. If you live in the Orioles market, you won't be able to view these games. The only consolation here is MLB.TV tries to make the games available within 90 minutes of the conclusion of the game. So you can wait and watch if you want.
MLB.TV
The MLB.TV app is your best bet for watching any out-of-market game, especially since the Orioles are not easy to stream.
Of course, you can always find a way to watch the game through NESN, the Red Sox' broadcaster. NESN is available for streaming, even if it's not nearly as accessible as a network like ESPN or Fox. Anyone with a cable subscription that includes NESN can stream the channel through a video provider including: Xfinity, Cox, DirecTV, Frontier, Verizon FiOS, and more.
Two major online streaming platforms for watching the NESN channel include FuboTV and YouTube TV.
- YouTube TV - $65 per month - YouTube TV can give you access to NESN in addition to the MLB Channel and the other five major broadcasting stations that will be broadcasting baseball games this season.
- Fubo.tv - $55 per month - Includes NESN and most of the baseball broadcasting channels, including the MLB channel. Does not include ESPN (although it will eventually later this year).
How to watch the MLB 2020 season from anywhere
When it comes to watching MLB games, there is no single great option that works for everyone. Below, we've outlined some of the streaming services you can try to keep up on all the action, but a VPN is one of the most useful ways to watch all the games, even for those living within the U.S. There are tons of blackouts and restrictions in place for these games, which is just a big pain.
That's where using one of thebest VPN services (Virtual Private Network) can be a lifesaver. They allow you to virtually change the ISP of your laptop, tablet, or mobile to one that's back in your home country, letting you watch as if you were back there.
VPN's are incredibly easy to use and have the added benefit of giving you a further layer of security when surfing the web. There are lots of options, and we recommend ExpressVPN as our #1 pick due to its speed, security, and ease of use. It can be used on a vast array of operating systems and devices (e.g. iOS, Android, Smart TVs, Fire TV Stick, Roku, games consoles, etc). Sign up for ExpressVPN now now and enjoy a 49% discount and 3 months FREE with an annual subscription. Or give it a try with its 30-day money-back guarantee. Looking for other options? Here are some alternatives that are on sale right now.
ExpressVPN
No matter where in the world you may be, a VPN is one of the easiest ways to watch the MLB 2020 Season. Get in on this deal now!
Let the games begin!
The Baltimore Orioles are one of the hardest teams to watch if you can't be there live. And no one can be there live right now. Of the 60 games, only one Orioles game will be shown on a broadcast network other than MASN (August 25's Tampa Bay game will be on FS1). This has been a stubborn point of the MASN network for some time now, and this season might finally be the straw that breaks the camel's back there. After all, if there are no fans in the stadium and no fans online, then what's the point of having a team at all? Let's hope there are some changes there. Until then, you'll just have to find ways around the restrictions.
Get ready for some whirlwind sports this year. With a shortened season, teams can't really afford to throw anything away. And they definitely aren't risking their own health and safety for a lackluster performance. While it's disappointing to lose nearly 2/3 of the season, it does automatically put teams in a postseason frame of mind. Expect some intense battles this year.
