:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71466037/usa_today_19158409.0.jpg "Guardians vs. Rays start time: What time is Game 1? How to watch via live stream on ESPN")
The 2022 MLB Playoffs will start with the matchup between the Tampa Bay Rays and Cleveland Guardians on Friday, October 7th. The Wild Card round is a best-of-three series, all of which will be played at the hosting team's stadium. First pitch is set for 12:07 p.m. ET from Progressive Field in Cleveland and will air on ESPN.
The Rays finished 86-76 during the regular season and will enter the playoffs losing seven of their last eight games including each of their last five. Shane McClanahan has been fantastic through his first two MLB seasons and has a 2.54 ERA in 2022. He had a brief stint on the injured list in early September and has a 5.21 ERA through four starts since coming off the IL. The Rays rank 25th in OPS (.686), and Randy Arozarena leads the team with 20 home runs and 89 RBI.
The Guardians pulled away from the rest of the American League Central, which had been a tight race for much of the season, and they enter the postseason with a 92-70 record. Shane Bieber will start Game 1 and finished the regular season with a 2.88 ERA through 31 starts as one of the top pitchers in the game for the last few years. The Guardians struck out the fewest times per game (6.9) of any MLB team, and they rank seventh in batting average (.254) heading into this series.
The Guardians are -125 moneyline favorites, making the Rays +105 underdogs on DraftKings Sportsbook, and the run total is set at 6.
Guardians vs. Rays Game 1 Wild Card TV Info
Game date: Friday, Oct. 7
Game time: 12:07 p.m. ET
TV channel: ESPN
Live stream: ESPN+, ESPN app