The Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs are taking their show on the road on Sunday.
A nor’easter hitting Boston forced the playoff teams to relocate their regular-season finale to Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla.
While playing a Friday doubleheader helped them get ahead of the storm, the forecast of heavy rain and wind over multiple days left no window to finish the series in Boston.
“It’s weird,” Red Sox manager Chad Tracy said. “Inconvenient is the best word I can use, but I think everyone pretty much, a few days ago, came to terms with this as a possibility.”
“I think from the players’ perspective, it’s just, ‘Show up and play,'” Cubs skipper Craig Counsell said. “Everybody else worries about all this other stuff. The players get to play.”
Though Game No. 162 still remains, both teams have their eyes on starting postseason play Tuesday.
Boston (87-74) boarded its flight to the Sunshine State with the series already in hand, having swept Friday’s pair with 4-3 and 2-0 wins. With the first victory, the No. 5 seed in the American League bracket was clinched, and a wild-card series date with the New York Yankees set.
“That’s what you want as a competitor,” Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony said. “They’re a great team; we’re a great team. We always play good baseball against them; they play good baseball against us. It’s gonna be a fun one.”
Meanwhile, the Cubs (88-73) — who secured their playoff spot after beating the Miami Marlins on Thursday — fell a game and a half behind the San Diego Padres for the National League’s top wild-card position with Friday’s losses.
Who and where Chicago will play next week remains in question, but the doubleheader sweep makes its road to hosting a wild-card series much murkier.
A Cubs win Sunday and two losses by the Padres would give Chicago the top wild card. Otherwise, the Cubs will be the second wild card and San Diego would host the series.
“Sometimes, (these unique situations) help you just take your hands off and really…just go compete,” said pitcher Clay Holmes, who started the first Friday game for Chicago.
Playing against a desperate team, the Red Sox picked up their two wins with essentially nothing to play for, resting their top starters and bullpen options now that their playoff status cannot change. Instead, Jake Bennett (3 2/3 innings in Game 1) and Jedixson Paez (five innings in Game 2) delivered quality outings in long relief.
Anthony went 3-for-3 with two doubles, a triple and three runs scored in the opener, which the Red Sox won after facing a 3-0 deficit through two innings.
Wilyer Abreu’s two-run double in the eighth inning of the nightcap snapped an 0-for-11 drought. That game was Boston’s 18th shutout this season.
Despite Chicago’s down results to start the series, Alex Bregman returned to the Cubs’ lineup five days after suffering facial fractures from a foul ball. He was the designated hitter in Game 1.
“It felt like I hadn’t played in a few days, but my face was fine,” said Bregman, who was 0-for-4. “I saw the ball fine, so hopefully (I can) just build off of those at-bats and get back to feeling how I was feeling.”
The Red Sox were not nearly as fortunate with injury news, as Mickey Gasper exited Game 1 with what Tracy deemed a “pretty significant” biceps injury.
“It’s probably going to take him out,” Tracy said.
Additionally, Willson Contreras did not take batting practice as he looks to return from pain in his hand.
Neither team has announced its Sunday starting pitcher.
–Field Level Media
