NL Central foes battle on Friday Night Baseball on Apple TV+

12:56 AM UTC

“Friday Night Baseball” on Apple TV+ is back this week with a pair of National League matchups, including an exciting contest between a pair of division rivals.

Padres at Pirates, 6:40 p.m. ET (WATCH HERE)

Two veteran right-handers will face off on the mound as two NL clubs meet at PNC Park. (1-2; 5.76 ERA) has struggled to start the year, but the Padres starter is still racking up strikeouts at an excellent rate. For the Pirates, (1-2; 3.97 ERA) has been a reliable rotation arm once again. Both lineups feature some dynamic power-speed threats: (8 HR, 7 SB) for San Diego and (8 HR, 12 SB) for Pittsburgh. Even in early May, every game is critical for a Padres team that is off to a strong start at 19-11 but is right in the thick of a supercharged NL West race -- especially a road series opener against an NL opponent.

Cubs at Brewers, 8:10 p.m. ET (WATCH HERE)

The first matchup of 2025 between these two NL Central rivals should be a fun one. A pair of young starters -- (2-2, 6.04 ERA) for the Cubs and (1-0, 3.79 ERA) -- will take the hill in a game featuring some very talented bats. Chicago enters play Friday leading the Central by two games over the Reds thanks to star outfielders (8 HR, .950 OPS) and (9 HR, .990 OPS) and hot-starting catcher (7 HR, 1.347 OPS). The Brewers, three games out of first place, are led by backstop and second-year outfielder . After winning the NL Central last season, the Brew Crew will try to defend its home field against one of MLB's best offenses.

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With MLB and Apple continuing their partnership in 2025, Apple TV+ will once again be bringing baseball fans a weekly Friday night doubleheader. “Friday Night Baseball,” which includes live pre- and postgame shows, will stream exclusively on Apple TV+ and be free from local broadcast restrictions.

How can I watch?

Fans with an Apple TV+ subscription can access “Friday Night Baseball” through the Apple TV app by choosing any of these three options:

  1. Launch the Apple TV app and select the game directly from there.
  2. From the MLB.TV app, tap on Apple TV+ Game to be redirected to the Apple TV app (where available).
  3. Visit https://tv.apple.com/ and log in with or create an Apple ID.

Do I need to pay to watch live games on Apple TV+?

Yes. An Apple TV+ subscription is required to view live games.

Do I need an Apple account to watch the games?

Yes. You need to have an Apple ID. Your Apple ID is the account you use across all your Apple devices, including your iPhone. Learn how to create a new Apple ID here.

How do I sign in to watch the games on Apple TV+?

Log in with your Apple ID. Learn how to watch Friday Night Baseball here.

On what devices can I watch the games?

See all the ways to watch Apple TV+ here.

What if I have a question about Apple TV+?

If you have any questions regarding your account, subscription or other issues, click here.

What is this season’s “Friday Night Baseball” schedule?

Beyond this Friday’s action, below is the schedule that has been announced, through June. Schedule is subject to change.

Friday, May 9

  1. St. Louis Cardinals at Washington Nationals, 6:45 p.m. ET
  2. San Francisco Giants at Minnesota Twins, 8:10 p.m. ET

Friday, May 16

  1. Houston Astros at Texas Rangers, 8:05 p.m. ET
  2. Seattle Mariners at San Diego Padres, 9:40 p.m. ET

Friday, May 23

  1. Los Angeles Dodgers at New York Mets, 7:10 p.m. ET
  2. Arizona Diamondbacks at St. Louis Cardinals, 8:15 p.m. ET

Friday, May 30

  1. Boston Red Sox at Atlanta Braves, 7:15 p.m. ET
  2. New York Yankees at Los Angeles Dodgers, 10:10 p.m. ET

Friday, June 6

  1. Chicago Cubs at Detroit Tigers, 7:10 p.m. ET
  2. Arizona Diamondbacks at Cincinnati Reds, 7:10 p.m. ET

Friday, June 13

  1. San Diego Padres at Arizona Diamondbacks, 9:40 p.m. ET
  2. Los Angeles Angels at Baltimore Orioles, 7:05 p.m. ET

Friday, June 20

  1. New York Mets at Philadelphia Phillies, 7:15 p.m. ET
  2. Kansas City Royals at San Diego Padres, 9:40 p.m. ET

Friday, June 27

  1. Tampa Bay Rays at Baltimore Orioles, 7:05 p.m. ET
  2. St. Louis Cardinals at Cleveland Guardians, 7:10 p.m. ET