Clayton Kershaw is set to be on the call for Game 1 of the wild-card series between the San Diego Padres and Chicago Cubs on Tuesday night, and that immediately turned heads.
NBC Sports has labeled the Los Angeles Dodgers legend as the “Inside the Pitch” analyst for the series, putting him alongside San Francisco Giants play-by-play voice Dave Flemming, Cubs analyst Jim Deshaies and Padres analyst Mark Grant. John Fanta will report from the field.
For a Padres broadcast, the choice of Kershaw - a longtime Dodgers icon who has lived through plenty of tension with San Diego - naturally drew questions. NBC’s Matt Borzello addressed how the assignment came together.
“That was more we had Anthony [Rizzo] call quite a few games on ‘Inside the Pitch,’ so we put him here in Yankee Stadium again, his attachment to the Yankees as well," Borzello said.
"Joey [Votto has] done ‘Inside the Pitch’ a few times, so we put him on that game in Atlanta. And then it was Clayton and Adam [Ottavino] at that point.
Both have done an excellent job all season. But it was no actual attachment there.
Obviously, Clayton’s done the Dodgers games, but it’s more just kind of where the series fell to put him out there.”
Kershaw, Anthony Rizzo and Joey Votto all came aboard in February as analysts for select Sunday Night Baseball broadcasts this season. Kershaw joined the booth after retiring from an 18-season career with the Dodgers, a run that ended with Hall of Fame credentials and a whole lot of history in Los Angeles.
He spent his entire career with the Dodgers, and the Padres have been a familiar source of friction, especially in the back half of that career. For much of the time Kershaw was terrorizing lineups, San Diego barely registered in the Dodgers’ orbit. That changed beginning in 2020, when the Padres became a real problem for Los Angeles.
The most memorable flashpoint came during the 2023 season. After Kershaw had a rough start against the Padres in a May game that year, San Diego’s scoreboard operators mocked him with a crying graphic on the video boards. The Padres later went cold and eventually missed the postseason.
Now the Padres and Cubs are preparing for a three-game series starting Tuesday, with the winner moving on. And if San Diego gets through Chicago, then beats the Milwaukee Brewers in the NLDS, there’s a path to the Dodgers in the NLCS if Los Angeles gets past the Atlanta Braves or Philadelphia Phillies.
In Other News...
Cubs Get A Meaningful Playoff Boost Fans Did Not Expect
The Cubs are headed into a best-of-three Wild Card Series against the Padres with the kind of October backdrop that always sharpens the edges a little, and this one comes with a small but welcome comfort for longtime fans. Games will air on NBCSN and Peacock, and the broadcast booth will include a familiar name in Jim Deshaies, the Marquee Sports Network analyst who put off hip surgery so he could call the series.
For a club trying to turn a short postseason window into something bigger, having Deshaies on the call adds a layer of continuity at a time when everything else feels compressed and high-stakes. The schedule, start times and umpire assignments are all set, but Chicagos crowd will also have a voice attached to the games that has become part of the teams recent rhythm, even as the real drama waits to unfold on the field. [Read more 🡒]
Craig Counsell's Game 1 Pitching Choice Says Everything About This Series
Craig Counsell opened the Wild Card Series with a familiar hand, turning to Matthew Boyd to start Game 1 against the Padres. Boyd has been a trusted option for the Cubs in recent playoff stretches, and he has already taken the ball in a Game 1 matchup with San Diego before, a sign that Chicago is leaning into experience and comfort as the margin for error shrinks.
The Padres will counter with right-hander Michael King, while Counsell also confirmed Kevin Gausman will get into the series for the Cubs. In a short series, every pitching decision can shape the tone fast, and Boyds assignment suggests the Cubs are prioritizing a starter they know they can trust in a pressure spot while keeping the rest of the plan flexible. [Read more 🡒]
Padres Just Gave The Cubs A Wild-Card Twist To Worry About
The Cubs now have a little more to factor into their wild-card preparation after San Diego revealed its 26-man roster for the upcoming series. The Padres are carrying 15 position players and 11 pitchers, and the group includes some choices that signal how they plan to manage the matchup, including three catchers who could all be part of the mix over the series.
One of the biggest developments for Chicago is the return of Joe Musgrove, who had not pitched in the postseason since the 2024 wild-card round and sat out this season after Tommy John surgery. San Diego also made a few notable roster calls at the margins, bringing in Andujar and Sheets while leaving Sung-Mun Song, Wandy Peralta and Randy Vasquez off the list, another reminder that the Cubs will be facing a postseason opponent with some fresh pieces and a few familiar threats back in the fold. [Read more 🡒]