Major League Baseball has altered the Boston Red Sox's regular-season finale schedule, moving the game to Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, to avoid a significant nor'easter expected to impact the Northeast. The decision places the Red Sox in an unusual position as they prepare for a wild-card series against the New York Yankees.
The final game of the season, originally slated for Fenway Park, was moved to Sunday at 3:05 p.m. ET in St. Petersburg. This change is a result of MLB's efforts to ensure the game is played, given its potential impact on playoff seeding for the Chicago Cubs.
The nor'easter is predicted to bring heavy rain and wind to the Northeast over the weekend, prompting MLB to reschedule the Red Sox-Cubs series. The initial Sunday finale was moved to Friday afternoon, becoming part of a doubleheader that the Red Sox swept. Friday night's game was also rescheduled twice to be played earlier in the day.
This schedule shift requires the Red Sox to travel to Florida for Sunday's game before heading to The Bronx for their playoff series against the Yankees, which is set to begin Tuesday. The late change has drawn criticism from some Red Sox fans who are concerned about the team's performance in the upcoming playoff series due to the added travel.
While the two games against the Cubs have minimal playoff implications for Boston, they are significant for Chicago. The Cubs have already clinched a berth but are vying for the top NL Wild Card spot. Their final seeding could be affected by the outcomes of these games, influencing whether their wild-card game is played in San Diego, Chicago, or Atlanta.
Red Sox manager Chad Tracy will need to manage his team's focus and health through these schedule changes as they transition from the end of the regular season to a high-stakes playoff series against a division rival.