(This is the audio-only podcast version of Tuesday’s MartyTimeTV / Section 1904 joint venture. You can find and subscribe to this podcast on Apple and Spotify and right here on Substack by clicking the button below. To watch this episode on YouTube, click here)
October is (almost) here, and the Padres are hosting the Cubs in a rematch of last year’s NL Wild Card matchup. Here’s our Padres-Cubs playoff preview, which started with MLB.Com’s AJ Cassavell offering thoughts on the 26-man roster.
The biggest surprise on that roster? Joe Musgrove. He hasn’t pitched in a big league game since October 2024, which was the last time the Padres hosted playoff baseball. What do we make of this decision and perhaps more importantly, what does putting Musgrove on the roster mean for everyone else?
Could Robbie Ray eventually find himself in the bullpen? How does Musgrove’s inclusion change the way the Padres can deploy their relievers? Is he being saved for a possibe extra-inning situation? Is this purely for baseball reasons or does Joe also provide an emotional lift heading into Game One? Nobody really knows but we talk through the possibilities.
We also get into Ethan Salas, the 20-year-old catching phenom sure to make his postseason debut. The Padres are carrying three catchers and we discussed the numerous ways Craig Stammen might use them in the series.
Then we’re joined by NBC/Peacock broadcaster Dave Flemming, who will be calling the series alongside Mark Grant and Jim Deshaies. Dave gives us a look at the Cubs, including the differences between the two clubs and how Craig Counsell might navigate his bullpen, which is in complete contrast to how we expect the Padres to use theirs.
That bullpen comparison gets particularly interesting. The Padres spent much of the regular season operating with defined roles. Counsell, meanwhile, has a long history of mixing and matching in the playoffs and may have fewer reservations about using his relievers in unconventional spots. Does that experience give Counsell an edge when the game gets weird or was “pitching chaos” enough of a crash course for the Padres freshman skipper.
And then there’s Petco Park.
Flemming calls it “the biggest cauldron in MLB.” What does that actually mean once the first pitch is thrown? How much can the atmosphere influence a playoff game particularly when every pitch matters exponentially more than regular season games?
We also looked at the September paths these teams took to get here. The Padres went 18-6 down the stretch. The Cubs went 11-13, which is why the games are at Petco Park. Chicago also had to fly around the country in the final week of the season, while Mother Nature made a mess of their schedule. Does any of that matter now?
Padres. Cubs. Again. LFGSD.
