The Boston Red Sox have just two series remaining before the regular season ends and their playoff race begins. But in true New England fashion, the weather is playing havoc at the worst possible time.
The northeastern states expect to be battered by a major storm over the weekend, bringing heavy rain and whipping winds to mark the start of fall. The worst of the weather is forecasted to begin Saturday evening and run into Sunday. The Chicago Cubs will come to town on Friday for the regular season finale, but making up a game or two isn't as easy as it sounds.
MLB has taken early action and decided that the two clubs will play a doubleheader on Friday to make sure they get all their games in, according to Tim Healey of The Boston Globe (subscription required). If it wasn't for the start of the postseason, the two clubs would most likely finish their seasons on Monday, but leaving them with no rest before the playoffs is would be a last resort.
Instead, Boston and Chicago will get two days off before their postseason debuts. Whether this serves them or not is up for debate — it certainly helps to have well-rested players, but two straight off days takes them out of their routine. A weekend doubleheader is undeniably better than a game or two on Monday, however.
MLB schedules Cubs-Red Sox doubleheader for Friday to avoid dangerous weekend weather
The Red Sox's bullpen could use the extra rest day, especially after the doubleheader could take many arms out of commission for the series finale. Boston's relief group is also dealing with a few injuries and issues at the moment — Erik Miller is battling command issues, Aroldis Chapman hasn't pitched since September 13 due to a lat injury and Tayron Guerrero has made just one appearance since he came off the injured list — and the healthy group needs all the help it can get.
Rather than scheduling a doubleheader to avoid the weather, MLB could've moved the final series to the Cubs' home park, Wrigley Field. But it said even before the doubleheader declaration that it had no plans of doing so.
As of this writing, first pitch for the Saturday game (September 26) is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. If the current forecast holds and the nor'easter remains expected on Saturday evening, the game could be moved up. Fans with tickets should keep an eye on the radar and look out for time change announcements, if they aren't already.
The Red Sox have locked up their playoff spot in an uncompetitive American League, but the National League Wild Card picture is a tight race. All three NL Wild Card teams (the Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies and San Diego Padres) are tied with the same record. Seeding is important for every team, but with a series against the twice-reigning World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers on the line, each team would certainly like to finish in the first spot. The Cubs will bring their best baseball against the Red Sox because their postseason depends on it — luckily, Boston's matchup is the same regardless of the outcome.
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