Yankees vs Red Sox live stream: how to watch Wild Card Game online without cable

Composite image of Gerrit Cole of the New York Yankees and Nathan Eovaldi of the Boston Red Sox

(Image credit: Mike Stobe/Getty Images & Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)

When the playoffs get started with a clash between the Yankees and the Red Sox, you know there's something special in store. There's no love lost between these two, and there's much more than bragging rights at stake as they fight for the fourth and final place in the American League Division Series. Read on as we explain how to watch the Yankees vs Red Sox game online and live stream the 2021 MLB Wild Card game from anywhere.

Yankees vs Red Sox live stream 2021

Date: Tuesday, October 5

Time: 8.08pm ET / 5.08pm PT / 1.08am BST / 11.08am AEDT

Venue: Fenway Park, Boston, Massachusetts

US live stream: MLB.TV / stream ESPN live with Sling TV discount

Global live streams: SN Now (CA) | BT Sport (UK) | Kayo Sports FREE trial (AU)

Watch anywhere: try the world's best VPN 100% risk-free

The Sox have home-field advantage, which can make a huge difference in one-off games like this, and you can guarantee the atmosphere at Fenway will be anything but friendly.

The best thing is, these teams were freakishly well-matched during the regular season. They both finished with a 92-70 record, and the Red Sox edged their head-to-head, winning 10 games to the Yanks' 9.

However, it was the Pinstripers who came out on top down the stretch, winning each of their last six encounters. It's an ominous sign for the Red Sox, as Gerrit Cole and Nathan Eovaldi take the mound knowing that defeat means it's all over for the year.

Whether you’re a Yankees fan in New York, a Red Sox fan in Boston or just an MLB follower wanting to watch the baseball at Fenway Park, we’ll show you how to get a high-quality MLB live stream of the Yankees vs Red Sox game.

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How to watch Yankees vs Red Sox: live stream Wild Card Game in the US

Tonight's Yankees vs Red Sox game is being nationally televised on ESPN.

First pitch is scheduled for 8.08pm ET / 5.08pm PT, and if you have the channel as part of your cable package, you can also live stream the game directly through the ESPN website.

How to watch Yankees vs Red Sox FREE without cable

If you haven't got ESPN as part of your cable package, there are still a couple of great ways to tune in.

The excellent MLB.TV streaming service is showing the Yankees vs Red Sox along with every single game of the post-season. However, it's subject to local blackout restrictions.

You can get around this by taking the VPN route per our guide below, and porting your computer to an out-of-market location.

When it works it's fantastic, as you not only get a live stream of your local team, but also the option of home or away team commentary, Spanish-language audio, companion apps for nearly any modern device, and a super-smooth 60fps feed.

And better still, because only the post-season remains, the MLB.TV price has been slashed to just $26.99 (from $129.99) after a 7-day MLB.TV FREE trial.

More ways to watch Yankees vs Red Sox without cable

Alternatively, you can tune in with over-the-top streaming service Sling TV, which includes ESPN in its Orange package and its Orange + Blue bundle.

However, you should bear in mind that Yankees vs Red Sox is the only playoffs game being televised by ESPN, with the vast majority of the action being shown on Fox, FS1 and TBS.

We'd therefore recommend either the Sling Blue or the Sling Blue + Orange package to MLB fans. Sling Blue provides access to Fox, FS1 and TBS, and usually costs $35 per month but right now you can get a whole month of Sling Blue for $10.

An extra $15 a month for the combined Sling Blue + Orange bundle adds ESPN to the mix.

Fenway Park - home of the Boston Red Sox MLB baseball team — (Image credit: Felix Mizioznikov / Shutterstock.com)

How to watch MLB blackout games and stream baseball playoffs from outside your country

A VPN is becoming an essential bit of kit for baseball fans for two reasons. Firstly, MLB blackout rules mean that you can't use its otherwise comprehensive MLB.TV streaming service to watch teams within your own market - fine for Yankees fans living in Seattle, not so great for those in the Bronx.

It's a real pain for cord-cutters, but fortunately, VPNs help you get around this by allowing you to relocate your IP address to a different location. This means you can still be sitting in your NYC apartment, but your computer will be rerouted to a server in a different part of the country - thereby allowing you to watch the Yankees (or Mets) just like you would if you had a fancy cable package.

Secondly, if you find yourself abroad at all during the 2021 MLB season, you'll likely find you're unable to access your usual baseball coverage like you would at home. This isn't necessarily cause for alarm, but rather the result of geo-blocking - best understood as digital borders that restrict certain services and content to certain parts of the world.

Use a VPN to watch an MLB live stream from anywhere

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How to watch Yankees vs Red Sox in Canada

Baseball fans based in the Great White North can tune in to the Yankees vs Red Sox game on Sportsnet, with first pitch set for 8.08pm ET / 5.08pm PT.

If you get the service as part of your cable deal, then you'll be able to log in with the details of your provider on the Sportsnet website and get access to an MLB live stream.

If you don't have cable, you'll be well-served by its digital platform. The SN Now streaming service starts at just $14.99 a month, and works across a range of devices, including phones, computers and tablets.

You can also tune in on MLB.TV, with a subscription now down to just US$26.99.

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Yankees vs Red Sox live stream: watch MLB Wild Card Game in the UK

The Yankees vs Red Sox game is being shown on BT Sport, with first pitch set for 1.08am BST on Tuesday night/Wednesday morning.

Don't forget that a the £25 BT Sport monthly sports pass is now available, so you can get all that MLB playoffs goodness without a long-term commitment.

The BT Sport app will let subscribers watch the baseball on any number of devices, including mobiles, tablets, consoles and smart TVs.

If you find yourself outside the UK and want to watch the MLB playoffs like you would at home, don't worry about geo-blocks on your account – simply grab a VPN and follow the instructions above to live stream the action.

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How to get a Yankees vs Red Sox live stream in Australia

Baseball fans Down Under can tune into the Yankees vs Red Sox game on ESPN, with first pitch set for 11.09am AEDT on Wednesday morning.

That means you can also live stream the game through slick streaming platform Kayo.

Newbies can take advantage of a FREE Kayo trial to see if the service is right for them. For those who decide to keep it, Kayo price plans start from a super affordable AUD$25 a month - really good value considering how much premium live sports action it hosts.

Not in Australia? Aussies abroad looking to watch an MLB playoffs live stream should find that a good VPN can help them access their home streaming services wherever they are.

Aatif is a freelance copywriter and journalist based in the UK. He’s written about technology, science and politics for publications including Gizmodo, The Independent, Trusted Reviews and Newsweek, but focuses on streaming at Future, an arrangement that combines two of his greatest passions: sport and penny-pinching.