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Cubs will begin title defense on Opening Night
- Updated: November 17, 2016
The Cubs will play for the first time in 2017 as reigning World Series champions on April 2 in St. Louis against the rival Cardinals in the ESPN “Sunday Night Baseball” matchup, one of seven Opening Day games over that first Sunday and Monday that the network will broadcast nationally.
Commissioner Rob Manfred made the announcement Thursday at the conclusion of Major League Baseball’s quarterly owners meetings in Chicago.
That first Sunday schedule will feature Yankees at Rays at 1:10 p.m. ET on ESPN, followed by Giants at D-backs at 4:10 ET on ESPN2, and then the tripleheader finale at 8:30 ET on ESPN.
“The combination of the Cubs’ World Series win and their rivalry with the Cardinals being one of the best in all of baseball, St. Louis is a great place for us to open the 2017 season,” said Dan Shulman, the voice of “Sunday Night Baseball.”
It should be a unique sight at Busch Stadium that night. Opening Day there is traditionally a tough ticket already, and based on what just happened in the 112th World Series, it might not be surprising to see ample Cubs blue blending into the red bleachers and box seats. The …
