Cubs fans heading into the Wild Card Series against the Padres will hear at least one voice they know well.
When the postseason shifts away from the regular-season setup, Major League Baseball’s broadcasts usually do too. That means the Cubs’ familiar radio crew, including Hall of Famer Pat Hughes, will still be on The Score, but the games themselves will be carried on NBC Sports Network and Peacock.
NBC has leaned into bringing team voices into its playoff coverage, and that approach will be in place for Cubs-Padres. The play-by-play voice will be San Francisco Giants broadcaster Dave Flemming, with Cubs color commentator Jim Deshaies and Padres color commentator Mark Grant alongside him. Former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw will also be part of the broadcast, along with John Fanta of NBC Sports.
Deshaies’ presence comes with a little extra commitment. As the Cubs’ broadcast team wrapped up its Marquee Sports Network season on Sunday, he said he delayed offseason hip surgery so he could work the Wild Card series this week.
That kind of setup matters because national playoff telecasts can sometimes feel disconnected from the teams on the field, especially when they haven’t followed the full grind of the regular season. Earlier this month on TBS, Pedro Martinez mentioned the Cubs waiting for Ben Brown to return and what that might mean for their playoff push, even though Brown had already been ruled out for the rest of the season.
With Deshaies on the call, NBC at least has someone who knows the Cubs’ path to this point and what they’ll need to do to keep moving.
The one odd wrinkle is Kershaw’s role. His presence feels a little like NBC poking the Padres, though the network may have simply been boxed in by the broadcast landscape. The Dodgers have a first-round bye, and Anthony Rizzo is already involved in the coverage for the Red Sox-Yankees series, which leaves Kershaw in the mix for Cubs-Padres.
In Other News...
Cubs Lineup Faces One Early Test That Could Swing Game 1
The Cubs will walk into Petco Park on Tuesday night with the postseason spotlight already centered on a familiar kind of problem: a right-hander who can make even a good lineup uncomfortable early. San Diego has confirmed Michael King as its Game 1 starter in the National League Wild Card Round, and that sets up an immediate test for a Chicago offense that will need to adjust quickly to the way he works the edges, changes eye levels and leans on a mix that can get hitters reaching.
For Chicago, the focus is less on the matchup label than on the specific pitch shapes it will see and how quickly the lineup can sort them out. Kings sinker and change-up are the pitches that matter most here, and the Cubs best chance to take control of the series opener may come down to which hitters can stay disciplined enough to force him into the zone. If they can do that early, Game 1 starts to look very different. [Read more 🡒]
Cubs Still Don't Know If Their Deadline Ace Can Start Game 1
Kevin Gausman took another step on the mound before the Cubs faced the Red Sox, throwing a bullpen session as the club continues to sort through its Wild Card pitching plans. The shoulder issue he picked up last week has left his status unsettled, and for a team headed into October, that kind of uncertainty is enough to keep every start in the rotation under review.
The Cubs are expected to make a call soon on whether Gausman will even be on the Wild Card roster, much less available to start Game 1 or Game 2. If he cannot go, Chicago has alternatives to weigh, with Matthew Boyd among the leading possibilities and other arms such as Imanaga, Braxton Garrett, Clay Holmes and David Peterson all part of the discussion as the playoff picture comes into focus. [Read more 🡒]
Alex Bregman Suddenly Looms Large In Cubs Wild Card Opener
The Cubs now know they will see Michael King in Game 1 of the Wild Card Series at Petco Park, giving Chicago an early look at one of San Diegos most effective arms. King closed the season with a 3.21 ERA and was especially sharp after July, the kind of starter who can make a short series feel even shorter if the opposing lineup doesnt find answers quickly.
For Chicago, Alex Bregman is one of the names that can change that script. Fresh off a return from facial fractures, he brings both postseason experience and a strong track record against King, and he has been among the games best hitters since the All-Star break. In a matchup that already figures to be tight, Bregmans presence gives the Cubs a veteran bat with the kind of history that can tilt a big October night. [Read more 🡒]