The Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox have redrawn the final weekend of the regular season around a major coastal storm headed toward New England.
The clubs will now play a split doubleheader at Fenway Park on Friday, September 25. The game originally scheduled for Sunday moves to 1:05 p.m. Eastern on Friday, while Friday's original game moves up to 6:05 p.m. Eastern. Saturday's game remains scheduled for 7:15 p.m. Eastern.
The Red Sox said the decision was made in consultation with Major League Baseball and the Cubs because the forecast calls for heavy rain, high winds and possible flooding across the region. Moving the finale forward gives the teams a clearer path to completing all three games before the weather is expected to worsen.
A schedule change with October consequences
This is more than a weather adjustment. Chicago entered Wednesday tied with Philadelphia and San Diego at the top of the National League wild card standings. Boston had already secured a place in the American League wild card field, but its seeding remained unsettled.
That makes every game valuable. The Cubs are trying to secure the strongest possible position and avoid letting a compressed finish disrupt their postseason plans. The Red Sox are managing the same tension while preparing a pitching staff for a wild card series that begins Tuesday.
A Friday doubleheader creates its own demands. Both clubs must cover 18 innings in one day and make careful choices with their bullpens. At the same time, finishing the regular season Saturday would create an additional recovery day before the playoffs. That could become useful if either team needs to reset its rotation or rest key relievers.
What fans need to know
Tickets for the original Sunday game will be honored for Friday's 1:05 p.m. contest. Tickets for the original Friday game will be valid for the rescheduled 6:05 p.m. start.
The schedule now calls for two games Friday and one Saturday, with no game Sunday. The change gives Major League Baseball its best available chance to settle postseason positioning on the field while the approaching storm closes in on Boston.
For the Cubs, the final road trip has suddenly become a sprint. Two games in one day at Fenway could help determine where their October begins.