Another year of Cubs baseball kicks off with an Opening Day matchup against the Rangers Thursday afternoon at Globe Life Park in Arlington, Texas. It begins a three-game series as the North Siders open their season on the road before ringing in another year at Wrigley Field on April 8 against the Pirates.
Jon Lester will take the mound Thursday for the Cubs to make his eighth career Opening Day start and fourth with his current club. He’s the first Cubs pitcher to start on Opening Day three years in a row since Carlos Zambrano did it a franchise-record six consecutive seasons from 2005-10.
RELATED: Cubs Opening Day 2019 – Live updates and highlights vs. Rangers
Lester will face off against Rangers starter Mike Minor, who’s making the first Opening Day start of his career after emerging as one of Texas’ top pitchers last season.
Minor, who previously pitched for the Braves and Royals, posted a 12-8 win-loss record with a 4.18 ERA, 132 strikeouts and 38 walks in 157 innings for the Rangers in 2018.
It’s worth noting that this could be the Cubs’ final Opening Day broadcast on WGN given their expected transition to Marquee in 2020. For many Cubs fans, growing up watching the team on WGN is inseparable from countless other memories of the team. WGN’s national presence also helped many fans outside of Chicago fall in love with the Cubs before the days of widespread internet giving easy access to almost every game.
How to watch Cubs vs. Rangers, Opening Day 2019
Matchup: Jon Lester (Cubs) vs. Mike Minor (Rangers)
Location: Globe Life Park, Arlington, Texas
Time: 3:05 p.m.
TV: WGN