Cubs opening day 2018: Start time, live stream, starting pitchers vs. Marlins

Cubs opening day 2018: Start time, livestream and starting pitchers vs. Marlins

By Satchel Price

Jon Lester will be the Cubs’ opening day starter for the third time in four years. | Getty Images

The moment we’ve all been waiting for is finally here as the Cubs take on the Marlins in their 2018 season opener at 11:40 a.m. CT Thursday. Jon Lester will be on the mound for his third opening day start with the Cubs to face Miami’s Jose Urena, who will be the Marlins’ seventh Opening Day starter in the last seven years.

The game will be broadcast live on ESPN and WGN and streamed on the WatchESPN online service for those unable to be near a television. You can also check out live updates and highlights from the Sun-Times team here.

Lester, who also started opening days in 2015 and 2017, becomes the first Cubs starter to make three or more season-opening starts since Carlos Zambrano’s run from 2005-10. He lost his first two opening day appearances with the Cubs (both against the Cardinals), so this time he’ll be looking to start off the season on a more positive note. The good news is that he’s coming off a strong spring training in Arizona.

While there was a lot of risk tied to Lester’s massive contract when it was signed in 2014, the Cubs have to be feeling good with their return at the midway point of the deal.

On the mound for the Marlins will be Urena, a flame-throwing 26-year-old coming off his first strong season as an MLB starting pitcher. The right-hander, whose fastball averaged 95.5 miles per hour last season according to FanGraphs, will try to overwhelm the Cubs’ batters with that velocity. Urena posted a 14-7 record, 3.82 ERA and 113 strikeouts in 169.2 innings last season, but struggled with his command at times by walking 64.