Jim Deshaies is making a pretty serious commitment to call the Chicago Cubs’ Wild Card Series against the San Diego Padres.
Deshaies, the Marquee Sports Network analyst, delayed hip surgery by two weeks so he can be in the booth for the series, according to Chicago Sun-Times reporter Jeff Agrest. That means Cubs fans will get one of their familiar voices alongside play-by-play man Dave Flemming and Padres color analyst Mark Grant when the best-of-three set begins.
NBC and Peacock are carrying every Wild Card game this year, and each broadcast will include an announcer from both teams. For Cubs fans, that local touch matters. Deshaies has spent enough time around this team to know the difference between actual insight and the usual playoff broadcast filler, and now he’s making sure he’s available for the games.
The series opens Tuesday night in San Diego, with the first two games set for 9 p.m. CT.
Game 1 is Tuesday, Sept. 29, on NBCSN/Peacock, followed by Game 2 on Wednesday, Sept. 30, also at 9 p.m. CT on NBCSN/Peacock.
If the series goes the distance, Game 3 would be Thursday, Oct. 1, with the start time still to be determined.
The umpiring assignments are also set for Game 1. Ramon De Jesus will be behind home plate, with Erich Bacchus working Game 2 and Chad Fairchild assigned to Game 3 if it’s needed. Bill Miller is the Game 1 crew chief at third base, Rob Drake is in left field, and Clint Vondrak will be in right field for what will be his first career postseason game.
If there is a Game 3, the start time will depend on how the other Wild Card series unfold, and the game could move to NBC. For now, the Cubs and Padres will begin the series with the first two games on NBCSN and Peacock.
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Craig Counsell's Game 1 Pitching Choice Says Everything About This Series
Craig Counsell is leaning on familiarity to open the Cubs Wild Card Series, turning to Matthew Boyd for Game 1 against the Padres. It is a choice that fits both the moment and Boyds role for Chicago, since he has already taken the ball in a Game 1 against San Diego before and has become one of the more important arms in the Cubs recent playoff runs.
The matchup also sets up a familiar kind of October chess match, with right-hander Michael King going for San Diego and Counsell confirming Kevin Gausman will get into the series as well. Boyds assignment says plenty about how the Cubs plan to attack the first game, but it also leaves open how Counsell intends to line up the rest of the pitching behind him if this series stretches beyond the opener. [Read more 🡒]
Cubs Wild Card Broadcast Gets A Familiar Voice Fans Will Appreciate
NBC Sports is gearing up to cover the Cubs-Padres Wild Card series with a broadcast group that should feel familiar on both sides of the matchup. The telecast, airing on NBC Sports Network and Peacock, will include Cubs color commentator Jim Deshaies alongside Padres color commentator Mark Grant, with San Francisco Giants play-by-play announcer Dave Flemming, former Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw and NBC Sports' John Fanta also part of the coverage. For Cubs fans, Deshaies in particular brings an extra layer of comfort to a high-pressure series.
Deshaies even delayed offseason hip surgery so he could take part in the broadcast, a sign of how much this one means to him and the audience that has followed him for years. Cubs fans who want their usual game-day rhythm will still have Pat Hughes on the regular season radio broadcast through The Score, but the national setup gives this matchup a different feel, with one of the clubs most recognizable voices helping frame the series from the first pitch onward. [Read more 🡒]
Cubs Still Don't Know If Their Deadline Ace Can Start Game 1
Kevin Gausman was back on the mound for a bullpen session before the Cubs faced the Boston Red Sox, a small but meaningful step as Chicago sorts through its pitching plan for the NL Wild Card series. The shoulder injury he picked up last week has left his status unsettled, and the club is now weighing whether he can even make the roster, let alone take the ball in one of the first two games.
The uncertainty puts extra pressure on the rest of the rotation picture, with Matthew Boyd among the most obvious fallback options and several other arms in the conversation as well. Chicago is expected to make a decision soon, and until then the biggest question hanging over the postseason is whether its deadline addition can be trusted to start when the games get real. [Read more 🡒]