MLB Playoff Preview

Summary

PTI – MLB Playoff Preview (September 30, 2025): Episode Summary

Hosts: Tony Kornheiser & Michael Wilbon
Theme: MLB Playoff Preview, with highlights and analysis of the wild card games, major sports headlines, and some colorful banter on other trending sports news.

---

Episode Overview

In this episode, Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon break down the opening day of MLB's wild card playoffs, focusing primarily on Detroit's dramatic win over Cleveland. The discussion also covers expectations for marquee wild card matchups like Red Sox–Yankees and Reds–Dodgers, plus quick pivots to noteworthy NFL headlines, managerial shakeups in MLB, and heated commentary around WNBA leadership. True to PTI's style, the hosts mix sharp analysis with irreverent wit and fast-paced exchanges.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Wild Card Playoff Opener: Detroit Tigers vs. Cleveland Guardians

Timestamps: [01:08] – [04:38]

• Game Recap: Detroit snatched Game 1 from Cleveland, despite Cleveland's dominance in their recent meetings.
  • “They played six times in the past two weeks with a division lead on the line, and Cleveland won five of them. But today it was the Tigers that took game one, though it got a little dicey in the ninth.” — Tony [01:08]
• Game-Changing Moments:
  • Wilbon highlights Jose Ramirez’s hustle and the defensive chaos in the ninth: “Jose Ramirez … gets to third base on a throwing error … a ground ball back to the mound, and he gets caught … in a really quick rundown and gets thrown out.” [01:37]
  • Skubal’s dominance on the mound:
    • “Skubal strikes out 14 and 7 and 2/3. He was masterful ... Skubal Skubal and more Skubal.” — Wilbon [02:10]
  • The hosts question critical baserunning decisions and debate “cardinal rules” of baseball.
    • “You're down one run in the bottom of the ninth … The fact that they don't score … he's got to come in.” — Tony [02:37]
• Pitching Triumphs:
  • Both praise deep starting pitching, rare in modern postseason:
    • “This was not five and fly. This was starters going deep.” — Tony [04:26]
• Momentum Shifts:
  • Tony wonders about Detroit’s capacity to sustain the upset without Skubal and on the road.
    • “I don't know if there's momentum now for Detroit … but it does seem like Detroit … reversed that terrible slide.” [03:59]

---

2. Wild Card Series Outlook: Yankees–Red Sox & Dodgers–Reds

Timestamps: [04:38] – [07:19]

• Most Vulnerable Favorite:
  • Tony picks the Yankees as more at risk due to the rivalry’s storied unpredictability:
    • “I think it's the Yankees and I think it's the Yankees because this particular rivalry, the Red Sox and the Yankees, is so acute … you just cannot … It's never surprising if the other team wins in this series.” [06:06]
  • Wilbon agrees, dismissing regular season trends:
    • “All those trends … don't mean Jack. We've seen it with these two. It doesn't mean anything.” [06:21]
• Dodgers’ Advantage: Both see LA as heavy favorites against the Reds, citing head-to-head dominance.
  • “Hard for me to see the Dodgers losing … They beat them five out of six this year. Outscored them 30 to 15.” — Tony [05:04]
• Key Starting Pitchers Noted:
  • “Red Sox are throwing Crochet tonight … He's 3 and 0 against the Yankees this year ... Max Fried … Most wins in baseball.” — Tony [07:19]

---

3. NFL Recap: Dolphins–Jets & Broncos–Bengals

Timestamps: [07:19] – [11:10]

• Low Drama, High Consequence:
  • Wilbon skewers the quality of the games:
    • “Three of the four teams are completely irrelevant and both games were stinkers.” [08:07]
  • Tony zeros in on the Jets’ futility:
    • “There is nothing compelling about the New York Jets, especially since Aaron Rodgers is gone ... a disaster.” [09:18]
    • Cites Breece Hall quote: “We come back and shoot ourselves in the head.” [09:18]
  • Cincinnati is “meaningless” without Joe Burrow.
  • Broncos earned respect—despite a previous controversial loss. Their upcoming game vs. Philadelphia will be a real test.
• Miami Suffers Beyond Victory: Win is soured by Tyreek Hill's severe injury.

---

4. Bruce Bochy Out as Rangers Manager

Timestamps: [12:44] – [14:47]

• Departure Framed as a Move Toward SF:
  • Tony: “It is opportunistic … the Giants just fired Bob Melvin … Buster Posey … who was his star player … can call up and say, ‘Hey Skip, do you want the job?’” [12:49]
  • Wilbon: “It's free agenting … Talk about relationship, talk about fit. Tony, this seems like automatic. This is just fly, Bochy.” [13:51]
  • Both suggest Bochy is likely headed to San Francisco for a storybook return.
  • “They should put a statue to him outside … whatever that ballpark is called now.” — Wilbon [14:41]

---

5. WNBA Turbulence: Nafisa Collier vs. League Leadership

Timestamps: [14:57] – [17:10]

• Inflammatory and Repetitive Critique:
  • Tony: “She blasted the WNBA commissioner, Kathy Engelbert. She blasted the officiating. She blasted the entire structure.” [15:03]
  • Quotes Collier: “We have great players. We have great fans. We have the worst leadership in the world.” — Tony [16:02]
  • Tony criticizes leaking private conversations.
    • “Are you kidding me? Caitlin Clark in college drew more people … ever happened in WNBA.” [15:24]
  • Wilbon: “My word … repetitive … you can rip the commissioner by name. So do it.” [16:08]
  • Worries about league stability, hints at possible CBA trouble or lockout: “Do the two sides have the guts to sit it out and prove their points? I don't know.” — Wilbon [17:16]

---

6. Around the Leagues: Notable Headlines & Fast Takes

Timestamps: [17:47] – [24:03]

• NHL: Happy birthday Dave Andreychuk; nod to his overlooked Hall-of-Fame career.
• MLB: Anniversary of Jose Bautista’s monster 54-HR season; Cubs rally past Padres in the wild card (Wilbon still nervous).
• NBA: Giannis Antetokounmpo admits considering playing for other teams—Wilbon predicts it’ll fuel speculation.
• WNBA: Women's Final Four to Lucas Oil Stadium in 2028 (“makes sense” as the game grows).
• NHL: Kirill Kaprizov gets record contract (“surprised” at the scale).

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Tigers’ clutch win:
  “Skill school, man … Scubal strikes out 14 and 7 and 2/3. He was masterful .… Scubal Scubal and more Scubal.” — Wilbon [01:37–02:10]

• On Yankees–Red Sox unpredictability:
  “You just cannot … It’s never surprising if the other team wins in this series.” — Tony [06:06]
  “All those trends … don't mean Jack.” — Wilbon [06:21]

• Jets' disarray:
  “We come back and shoot ourselves in the head.” — Tony, quoting Breece Hall [09:18]

• On Bochy and San Francisco:
  “This seems like it could be a great opportunity for Bochy to go back.” — Tony [13:51]
  “They should put a statue to him outside [the stadium].” — Wilbon [14:41]

• On WNBA leadership drama:
  “We have the worst leadership in the world. So that's inflammatory, if not incendiary.” — Tony [16:02]
  “All of this heat is directed at leadership. Say what you mean. Mean what you say.” — Wilbon [16:42]

---

Important Segment Timestamps

• Wild Card Opener Discussion: 01:08–04:38
• Yankees–Red Sox Wild Card Preview: 04:38–07:19
• NFL Recap: 07:19–11:10
• Bochy Rangers Exit: 12:44–14:47
• WNBA Critique: 14:57–17:10
• Quick Hits (NHL/MLB/NBA): 17:47–24:03

---

Episode Tone

Lively, opinionated, and irreverent—as PTI is celebrated for. Tony and Wilbon alternate between earnest baseball analysis and direct, sometimes blunt, takes on the other sports issues of the day, never shying away from controversy or going after sacred cows.

---

Summary for the busy listener:
The episode is a brisk, insightful guide through the start of MLB’s postseason and the sports world’s swirling headlines—equal parts sharp debate, stats, storytelling, and off-the-cuff one-liners.

---

Transcript

[Mike Wilbon]

Race the rudders. Raise the sails. Raise the sails. Captain, an unidentified ship is approaching.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Over.

[Mike Wilbon]

Roger. Wait.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Is that an enterprise sales solution? Reach sales professionals, not professional sailors. With LinkedIn ads, you can target the right people by industry, job title and more. Start converting your B2B audience today. Spend $250 on your first campaign and get a free $250 credit for the next one. Get started [e-mail] Campaign terms and conditions apply.

[Mike Wilbon]

Pardon the interruption, but I'm Mike Wilbach. Tony. TSA agents at Newark stopped a man trying to smuggle a live turtle in his pants. Have you ever done anything like that?

[Tony Kornheiser]

I'm Tony Kornheiser. A live one? No.

[Mike Wilbon]

You know, a Newark man, a Florida man. I don't believe anybody's got a turtle in his pants. I don't believe it. I'm not buying a wild. I've heard of that.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I have read about this for years now. Live turtles being SM smuggled in people's pants. Maybe it's not true, but I recall it from 10, 12 years ago.

[Mike Wilbon]

I believe it's.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Any stories. Welcome. Okay, welcome to pti, boys and girls. In today's episode, the Dolphins beat the jets, the Broncos stomped the Bengals, and the Rangers part ways with the manager who led them to a World Series title. But we begin today with the first game of the wild card playoffs, Detroit at Cleveland. They played six times in the past two weeks with a division lead on the line, and Cleveland won five of them. But today it was the Tigers that took game one, though it got a little dicey in the ninth. Wilbon, what struck you about today's result?

[Mike Wilbon]

Skill school, man. Look, I know the bottom of the ninth was crazy. And Jose Ramirez, who I have praised as being the most underrated player in all of baseball, maybe the last 10 years, he. He gets to third base on a throwing error in the infield by my man Javi Baez. And you're like, oh, my God, Cleveland's going to do this. And then, yes, a ground ball back to the mound, and he gets caught in a semi, like a really quick rundown and gets thrown out. And ultimately, the game ends in Detroit's favor.

[Tony Kornheiser]

But it's school.

[Mike Wilbon]

He strikes out 14 and 7 and 2/3. He was masterful when. When he went out after 107 pitches, I'm like, why take him out? I'm sorry. Because in the postseason, and this is a big, strong man. He's a dude. I. I ain't taking them out. They got away with it. Scubal Skubal and more scubal yeah.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Let me just ask you one quick question. You think that was a contact play? Do you think he breaks for the plate just on contact?

[Mike Wilbon]

I think so.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Because in hindsight, look, there are a lot of things that we talk about as the cardinal rule in baseball, but you're down one run in the bottom of the ninth, you have a man on third with nobody out. The fact that they don't score, I'm not saying they have to win the game, but they have to tie the game. He's got to come in, you get a strikeout, you get the contact run and the rundown, and then you get a pop out. And so if you are Cleveland, that's a terrible loss because you're on the verge, you're certainly going to tie that game. I agree with you 100% about Skubal Williams for Cleveland was terrific as well. I mean, he got hurt in the first inning on an error in the outfield. So an unearned run ultimately came in and Detroit had a 1 nothing lead for a long time. Scubal not only had 14 strikeouts. Mike, at no point did he field the ball and throw it backwards between his legs like he did the last time he scooped one.

[Mike Wilbon]

He scooped one in there when he fielded a bunch. They were testing him.

[Tony Kornheiser]

There was a throw at the plate and they reversed it. Because he was safe, right? Yes, he was the runner was safe because if he's actually called out, it changes the entire game, obviously. But to me, like, I don't know if there's momentum now for Detroit because you have to play all the games on the road and you're not going to get Scuba back in in this series. So, I mean, I don't know, but it does seem like Detroit, by winning the last game between them in the regular season and now winning this opening game has at least reversed that terrible slide that they were on. So now you could conceivably you could pick Detroit in this series and not worry that they were just out of it completely.

[Mike Wilbon]

Tony, there was no offense in this game. It was classic October baseball. The day before we get to October, it two to one, nail biter. Every pitch had drama.

[Tony Kornheiser]

It was a really good game and it was not. And we should say this, both starters were willing to go. This was not five and fly. This was starters going deep. It was starters going deep.

[Mike Wilbon]

No bullpen game. I'm sure we'll get to that in the World Series. Let's turn to tonight's games. The Red Sox and Yankees. God help me, meet in about 25 minutes with the Reds and Dodgers playing at 9 Eastern. That's early. That's rush hour on the West Coast. The Yanks and Dodgers met in last year's World Series, of course. Tom, which of these teams do you see is more vulnerable in this year's wild card round?

[Tony Kornheiser]

I don't think this is close. I think it's the Yankees. It's hard for me to see the Dodgers losing to the Reds. They beat them five out of six this year. They outscored them 30 to 15 over the course of the season, the Dodgers scored over 100 runs more than the Reds. So I think it's the Yankees and I think it's the Yankees because this particular rivalry, the Red Sox and the Yankees, is so acute and has lasted for so long. And it's a real deal. They played 13 times this year, being in the same division. To me, they played in so many big games, there's so much history there that to me, I fully expect to see Mariano Rivera walk out of the bullpen or Big Poppy walk out of the rug. And they're wearing uniforms and. And they're wearing uniforms and let me get to this. The Yankees. The Yankees won 94 games this year and the Red Sox won 89 games. But the Red Sox won nine out of 13 from the Yankees, including eight in a row at one point. And in the first nine games that they played this year, they outscored the Yankees 54 to 31. The Yankees came back on them and won three of the last four. So maybe they figured it out. But I assume you're going to agree with me that you just cannot. It's never surprising if the other team wins in this series.

[Mike Wilbon]

All those trends all reported accurately. Thank you very much for all that insight. It don't mean Jack. We've seen it with these two. It doesn't mean anything. Yes, and as much as I like to make fun of everybody who goes crazy over the Yankees and the Sox starting in March, I'm gonna watch. I don't have. I have no rooting interest at all. So it's a little difficult for me.

[Tony Kornheiser]

But.

[Mike Wilbon]

But I will watch him be fascinated, Tony. And I, yes, I agree with you because I. The Reds, I don't want to face the Reds. If I'm the Brewers or the Cubs in division, I don't want to see the Reds. But if I'm the Dodgers, I feel okay about facing the Reds. I mean, you know, De La Cruz can't be a one man wrecking crew by himself in a postseason series, even a short one. So I expect the Dodgers, I'm not gonna say make quick work, maybe it's a little difficult, but the Yankees and Dodgers. The Yankees would seem more vulnerable to me.

[Tony Kornheiser]

So the Red Sox are throwing crochet tonight. Ooh, crochet. He's three and oh. Against the Yankees this year. The Red Sox have won all four of his starts. Against the Yankees this year it's against Max Freed, who's got the Most wins in baseball 19. But only one of them was over the Red Sox, although we lost 1 nothing and 2 nothing because he got no support. So this is the kind of game you can't there's no favorite. That's not it doesn't really a favorite. Let's move on. Let's go to the NFL and last night's two Monday night games, of which it is fair to say they were not high drama. The Dolphins beat the Jets 27:21 but lost Tyreek Hill for the rest of the season with a dislocated knee and torn ligaments. And then the Broncos dominated the Bengals 28 3, which is what happens when Joe Burrow is out. Wilbon which result did you find more compelling?

[Mike Wilbon]

Three of the four teams are completely irrelevant and both games were stinkers. So you're not going to hear a lot of cheering on the, you know, the NFL shield on this show, not based on what happened last night and that junk. Denver is the team that is relevant of those four teams. And I'm looking at Denver because I think Denver got hosed in that game against Indianapolis with the penalty because some guy made a swim move and was penalized on a missed field goal. So I, I, I think Denver's better than the 2 and 2 record indicates, Tony. And they came out there and they just said enough of this, they don't have their guy. And Cincinnati is completely irrelevant without Joe Burrow. They're reduced to just mouthy whiteouts who make a trillion dollars screaming at their coaches or tweeting or making a nuisance of themselves because that's what receivers largely do. And so Cincinnati is meaningless. And it's too bad because they had some promise with Burrow out there, but he ain't out there until like Christmas time. So you can take it away with these two games because the two games themselves were worthless.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Well, one of the things that you learn about Monday Night Football is the schedule is made three and four months in advance and you don't know Joe Burrow is not going to be playing Denver. We're going to find out about Denver. Their wins are meaningless wins. You know, it's, it's Tennessee and Cincinnati, but they play at Philadelphia this week. We're going to learn something about them. And I also think they're a pretty good team. The word compelling is interesting here because there is nothing compelling about the New York jets, especially since Aaron Rodgers is gone. They are 04. Aaron Glenn is a rookie coach and he may not even get next year. They made nine offensive penalties, Mike. Nine offensive penalties which tied second place the most penalties in one game offensively in the last 25 years. I know you like Justin Fields. Justin fields is now 0 and 25 in his career in the pros. If the other team scores 21 points or more, which means he doesn't particularly rally the troops. And here's a quote from Breece hall from the Jets. Teams will shoot themselves in the foot. We come back and shoot ourselves in the head. It doesn't matter who coaches the Jets. It doesn't matter who plays quarterback for the Jets. It's a disaster. Now, Miami isn't a good team. I understand they won. They just got to be a worse team. They were 03. Now they're one. And three was worse because Tyree Kill is not playing. Their coach could be looking for a job next year. And you're right about Cincinnati. And I don't want to hear about what's his name. What's Browning's first name? Jake Browning. I don't want to hear about the Jake Browning bandwagon anymore.

[Mike Wilbon]

Where is that?

[Tony Kornheiser]

Because they have. They spent all of this money two years ago on wide receivers and they have no quarterback and no defense. Mike, here's what they've allowed. In the last two games, they've been losing 76 to 13. There's a technical word for that and.

[Mike Wilbon]

It is not awesome.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Two words. All right, let's take a break. Coming up, Bruce Boces out in Texas. What's the word for that and how.

[Mike Wilbon]

Best to describe Nafisa Colliers Rant to take down NWNBA leadership rant. That team, they're going at the commissioner. They won't say the commissioner's name specifically, but that's what they're doing.

[Tony Kornheiser]

As you know, managing maintenance, repair and operations is never easy. But for the ones who always rise to the challenge, Grainger has your back. From professional grade products you can count on to fast, dependable delivery, they're there to help you keep things running smoothly. Plus their technical product specialists are here to help answer your toughest questions. And because Grainger knows safety is always a priority, they're committed to being your partner in protecting both your people and your facilities. Call 1-800-GRAINGER click granger.com or just stop by. When did making plans get this complicated? It's time to streamline with WhatsApp, the secure messaging app that brings the whole group together. Use polls to settle dinner plans, send event invites and pin messages so no one forgets mom 60th and never miss a meme or milestone. All protected with end to end encryption. It's time for WhatsApp message privately with everyone. Learn [e-mail] Time to trade words with Wilbon. What's first?

[Mike Wilbon]

Bruce Bochy's split from the Rangers is blank.

[Tony Kornheiser]

It is opportunistic. And what I mean by that is that the San Francisco Giants just fired Bob Melvin the other day. The guy who was charged with picking a new manager for the Giants is Buster Posey. Buster Posey won three World Series with the San Francisco Giants.

[Mike Wilbon]

Playing for who?

[Tony Kornheiser]

Playing for Bruce Boesy. In fact, Buster Posey all but one year of his career in the major leagues, he played for Bruce Boshie. So Bruce Boshie doesn't have to rehearse for a big interview here. Buster Posey can call up and say, hey Skip, do you want the job? And Boshi can say, sure. Now. I mean, if he wants the job. Boshi is 70 years old. That's old to some. But Mike, as you know, it's a kid to me. And he's got four World Series rings. How many guys are active as managers have four World Series rings? So to me, this seems like it could be a great opportunity for Boshi to go back to San Francisco.

[Mike Wilbon]

And I'm gonna disagree with you so vehemently. I'm just gonna say it's free agenting because he becomes a free agent now that he's fired and free to go where? San Francisco, where he knows his way around the corner office, the ballpark, and yes, the GM of the team who was his star player. Talk about relationship. Talk about fit. Tony. This seems like automatic. This is just fly, Bochy. And I know because first of all, he said in an interview he would not turn down a conversation with his guy and with the, with the Giants. And why would he? Why would he? I mean, if you're going to go out, you don't go. And he said he's having so much fun. He could have more fun in San Francisco where they should put a statue to him outside, whatever that ballpark is called now. It used to be called at&t. Whatever it's called. Statue to bocce. Yeah.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I mean, you know, he just won the World Series two years ago.

[Mike Wilbon]

Yeah.

[Tony Kornheiser]

He hasn't lost up. No, he hasn't lost it. No, no, no. All right, what's next?

[Mike Wilbon]

Nafisa Collier's comments on WNBA leadership were blank.

[Tony Kornheiser]

They were inflammatory. Now, I'm not saying they're not true. I'm saying they're inflammatory. She blasted the WNBA commissioner, Kathy Engelbert. She blasted the officiating. She blasted the entire structure of management in the entire league. And by the way, she's a vice president of the players association. She also revealed details of a private conversation she had with Engelbert in which she quoted Engelbert as saying of Caitlin Clark, she had to get down on her knees and thank this league for the platform it gave her to make all this money outside of her salary. Mike, I'm not big on private conversations being quoted, but. Are you kidding me? Caitlin Clark in college drew more people in the gym and on television. Ever happened in wnba, such as a dumb statement, I would say that Naficia Collier, at this point, this is another quote. She said, we have great players. We have great fans. Quote, we have the worst leadership in the world. So that's inflammatory, if not incendiary, Tony.

[Mike Wilbon]

It's also repetitive. And that's my word, because we've heard all year there's been this complaining. I mean, direct hits, but too often, too often for my taste. It's directed at leadership. Who you talking about? Say what you mean and be. And mean what you say is something my favorite English teacher, Jim Wall, taught me in high school. Say what you mean. Mean what you say. Are you ripping the commissioner? If you had a private conversation with the commissioner, you. You had other conversations, and you can rip the commissioner by name. So do it.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Sure.

[Mike Wilbon]

Sure. And by the way, I'm a huge Nafisa Collier fan. I hate the way she got injured in that game the other night. It was a clean strip. It was not a foul. And she and her coach, their coach, set the tone by just going crazy. And so you. And earning a suspension. Earning it. And so this. All of this heat is directed at leadership. Say what you mean. Mean what you say.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Okay. Do you think they will arrive at a. At a cba? Do you think that that league will start on time next year?

[Mike Wilbon]

I tell you what, Tony, if you're serious, if. If so many players hate the officiating, hate the leadership, then. Then. Then there needs to be. You got to come to a head with this dispute, right? So I'm thinking, wow, do the two sides, do the two sides have the guts to sit it out and prove their points? I don't know.

[Tony Kornheiser]

That's the final word here. We will take one last break. When we come back, the Greek freak makes an interesting media day.

[Mike Wilbon]

Admission and will the Fever upset the Aces tonight in game five? And I disagree with you the platform. It's a nice platform for Caitlin Clark. No matter how popular she is, it's a great platform.

[Tony Kornheiser]

She brought all that extra money with her because of college. Everybody wanted to sign her.

[Mike Wilbon]

That's why.

[Tony Kornheiser]

But everybody wanted to sign her when she got to the pros. Everyone wanted her for endorsements because of what happened in college. That's my point.

[Mike Wilbon]

But there ain't no big money yet. This episode is brought to you by State Farm.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Checking off the boxes on your to.

[Mike Wilbon]

Do list is a great feeling.

[Tony Kornheiser]

And when it comes to checking off.

[Mike Wilbon]

Coverage, a State Farm, State Farm agent can help you choose an option that's right for you. Whether you prefer talking in person on the phone or using the award winning app, it's nice knowing you have help finding coverage that best fits your needs.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.

[Mike Wilbon]

Deborah had to have surgery.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I had hip surgery in November of 2024.

[Mike Wilbon]

Her United Healthcare nurse Crystal checked on her.

[Tony Kornheiser]

We do a routine call after surgery.

[Mike Wilbon]

And I could tell that she was struggling. Deborah needed help.

[Tony Kornheiser]

My infection markers were through the roof.

[Mike Wilbon]

And Crystal knew what to do. I called the hospital and said she's coming in and got Debra the help she needed.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Crystal and United Healthcare saved my life.

[Mike Wilbon]

Hear more stories like Debra'[e-mail] benefits, features and or devices vary by plan. Area limitation and exclusions apply.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Happy time people. Happy belated 62nd birthday. Dave Anderchuk. This was yesterday. The hall of fame winger had 640 career goals. 698 career assists. He played 23 years in the NHL, 12 for Buffalo and also for Toronto, New Jersey, Colorado, Tampa Bay and Boston. Andrew Chuck won the Stanley cup in 2004 with the Lightning, that franchise's first Cup. Andrew was 40 years old at the time. That was his only trip to the country cup final. He had gone to the conference finals twice with Toronto in 1993 and 1994 and once with Colorado in 2000. Andric held the NHL record for power play goals to 274 until Alex Ovechkin passed him in 2022. Ovechkin now has 326 power play goals, but Andrew Chuck is still second.

[Mike Wilbon]

Tony, if you just casually follow the NHL, you know Andrew Tuck's a great player over a lot of years, but you don't know that he's 15th all time in goals scored. That's a crazy amount. 640 goals for Andrew Chuck. He had an underrated and understated career.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Happy anniversary. Jose Bautista. On this day 15 years ago, the Blue Jays slugger hit his 53rd and 54th home runs of the season. Nobody else in the baseball had as many as 50. In fact, Bautista's closest competitor was Albert Pujols with 42. That was the most home runs Batista hit in one season. His next most was 43. But before hitting 54, the most homers Joey Batts ever had was 16. This year, Batista would not have led either league in homers. Cal Rawley had 60 in the American League and Kyle Schwaber had 56 and Shohei Ohtani had 50 in the National League. Batista's Blue Jays, though, won the American League east and had the most wins in the American League, tied with the Yankees at 94.

[Mike Wilbon]

Okay, 16 to 54. That's an eye brazing amount of home run jump like the late 90s. I don't want to go too far. But then, Tony, like a lot of players who get older, more mature, stronger, he finished with quite a kick and hit more than 300 horses. He did. That's right.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah, that's right. That's right. Happy trails to game one for the Padres. San Diego hopped out to an early lead over Wilbon's Cubs this afternoon. But Chicago bounced back in the fifth inning, getting back to back home runs from Seiya Suzuki and Carson Kelly to take the lead, then adding an insurance run in the eighth. Wilbon, you've watched so many Cubs games this year, you've been nervous about this series and the Padres lineup that you said was so great. So how are you feeling right now? Are you still nervous?

[Mike Wilbon]

I'm still nervous. Tony. We the Cubs once got a 20 lead in the best of five series against the Padres in 1984 and then lost three in San Diego. We don't have to do that because all three games are in Wrigley and the pitch like that, the bullpen coming in after Matthew Boyd and both giving up essentially nothing to that lineup. I know you don't think as much of the lineup as I do. That's a great win for the Cubs in game one with no Cade Horton. A great win for The Let me just say this.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Only three people on the Padres got hits at all. And Tatis and Arise and Machado went 0 for 11. That's great. The Cubs shut them down.

[Mike Wilbon]

Yes.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Shut them down. Shut them down. Let's go to the big finish.

[Mike Wilbon]

Let's do it.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Giannis confirmed that he did consider playing for other teams during the off season. Is that a big deal?

[Mike Wilbon]

Yes, because it's gonna open the door if the Bucks aren't great to trade deadline talk for a month or more, it's gonna open the door to that. Anthony Davis says he'll wear goggles the rest of his career following this recent offseason eye surgery. Your thoughts?

[Tony Kornheiser]

Worked pretty well for Kareem, another Lakers center. Just saying. The Wild signed Khalil Kaprisov to the richest contract in NHL history. Are you surprised?

[Mike Wilbon]

Yeah, yeah. 136 mil or whatever. That's like a year and a half of an upcoming NBA salary, isn't it? The Women's Final Four will be moved to Lucas Oil Stadium in 2028. Does that make sense to you?

[Tony Kornheiser]

Well, the men have been playing in football stadiums in huge places for a bunch of years now. Women's game has moved up to take a shot at it. Last one. Fever Aces game five tonight. Who you got?

[Mike Wilbon]

The Fever are a great story. Caitlin Clark and others on that team out forever and ever. What a job by the coaching staff and by that team. But Tony, no, I believe the champs once removed. The two time champs once removed will win at home to advance to the final Aces.

[Tony Kornheiser]

We are out of time. We will try to do better the next time. I am Tony Kornhuis.

[Mike Wilbon]

And I'm Mike Wilbon. Same time tomorrow knuckleheads. Talk about stepping up.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Bang bang.

[Mike Wilbon]

It's time to level up your game. Introducing, introducing the all new ESPN app. All of ESPN all in one place. Your home for the most live sports and the best championship moments.

[Tony Kornheiser]

The electricity is palpable.

[Mike Wilbon]

Step up your game with no annual contract required. It's the ultimate fan experience. Level up. For More on the ESPN app or at stream.espn.com sign up now.