The Tampa Bay Rays open against the New York Yankees on Sunday, April 2nd at 1:10 PM at Tropicana Field as part of ESPN’s opening day coverage. Rays fans will have to wait until Tuesday evening to hear our local coverage headlined by Dewayne Staat and Brian Anderson.
ESPN will provide national coverage of seven 2017 Opening Day games on Sunday, April 2nd and Monday, April 3rd. pic.twitter.com/CzN8pipFHG
— MLB Communications (@MLB_PR) November 17, 2016
The Rays throw the first pitch of the season and will have an off day on Monday before finishing the three game series against the Yankees on Tuesday and Wednesday. The Rays will open at home for the eighth consecutive season. The Rays have opened the seasons in 2004, 2009, and 2012 against the Yankees and won all three games.
Last season the Rays opened as the middle game of a television triple header on the first Sunday of the season. They lost 5-3 to the Toronto Blue Jays.
The good news for Rays fans is that they have the fewest hours remaining until their season kicks off. The Rays still have a lot of work to do this off-season, but in a mere 135 days they will usher in the 2017 season in front of a national television audience.