yahoo
In an unexpected turn of events, the Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox will finish their regular seasons at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, instead of Fenway Park. The decision came after a powerful Nor'easter threatened the Northeast, leading Major League Baseball to move the game to a climate-controlled environment.
The teams had already played a doubleheader on Friday at Fenway, with the Red Sox taking Game 1, 4-3. That victory clinched the No. 5 seed in the American League playoffs for Boston. The Sunday finale was initially uncertain, but by Friday afternoon, MLB had seen enough and relocated the game to avoid the impending storm.
This shift carries a hint of irony: Tropicana Field, home of the Tampa Bay Rays, was damaged by a hurricane in October 2024, forcing the Rays to play their 2025 home games at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa. Now, the Trop will serve as a safe haven for the Cubs and Red Sox, who have little at stake in the standings.
Key Analysis
The Red Sox (86-74) have locked in their playoff position and will head to New York for a best-of-three wild card series against the Yankees after Sunday's game. Meanwhile, the Cubs (88-72) hold tiebreakers over the San Diego Padres (89-70) and Philadelphia Phillies (87-72), and could still land anywhere from the No. 1 to No. 3 wild card spots in the National League. That would mean hosting a three-game series, traveling to the No. 1 wild card team, or visiting the NL East champion Atlanta Braves.
The AL East champion Rays will finish their season with a three-game series at Philadelphia and have a bye to the AL Division Series. If the Red Sox win their wild card series against the Yankees, they would return to Tampa Bay to face the Rays in the best-of-five ALDS starting Saturday, Oct. 3.
Originally reported by yahoo.