A nasty nor’easter is barreling straight for Boston, forcing the Red Sox and Cubs to officially schedule a Friday doubleheader to get ahead of the wild weather. Matt Gross, the weather guru over at OTM, warned us all about this scheduling nightmare and the chaos that could hit this weekend.
Doubleheader Chaos Hits Fenway
The league was initially speculating about moving the whole series, trying to dodge a Monday doubleheader. Yeah, totally meaningless for the Sox, but for the Cubs? That’s a real, “are you kidding me right now?” headache, especially with the playoffs just a day away. But get this, according to a league source, MLB never planned on moving the series. They settled on the Friday doubleheader plan instead. Chad Tracy summed it up perfectly, saying, “Everybody is well aware that the weather could get bad. I know it also could miss and not be bad. It’s very much on everybody’s radar through each organization plus Major League Baseball.” Looks like everyone’s gotta keep their heads on a swivel this weekend.
Crochet’s Comeback Is Bringing the Heat
While the weather drama plays out, there’s some seriously good news bubbling up around Red Sox pitcher Garrett Crochet. The dude was never even on the radar to pitch in a regular season game before the playoffs anyway, so this storm won’t mess with his timeline. But he’s making some real strides in his recovery. Just yesterday, Crochet faced a live hitter, Ceddanne Rafaela, for the first time in his comeback, absolutely slinging a ridiculous 94-96 MPH fastball across 16 pitches. He’s feeling it, too. Crochet said, “I would say the way that live just went, that I could go get outs. It depends obviously what role they want me in. It’s not really for me to say. I know myself, and I know my body, and the biggest thing was that I felt good out there. Felt like I was able to ramp up intensity to a place that I haven’t gone yet.” That’s the kind of confidence you love to hear.
Tolle Steps Up While Miller Struggles
Speaking of pitching, the Sox staff has been holding it down even without Crochet, and you gotta give major props to Payton Tolle. He’s been stepping up big time this season, and the fans are absolutely loving him for it. Chad Tracy hit it right on the head: “Yeah, I think he’s won them over pretty significantly. Obviously, he’s been awesome this year.” Tolle hasn’t just been pitching lights out, he’s also apparently a genuinely great dude, even hugging opposing players on the baseline. And get this, a highlight reel from his high school basketball days shows he’s been doing that hugging thing for a while. That bullpen definitely needs an arm like Crochet’s though, especially with Erik Miller seriously struggling to throw strikes and working on his mechanics right now.
So, this Friday’s doubleheader against the Cubs isn’t just a couple of games, it’s a sprint against mother nature. For the Cubs, these contests are still vital, even if they’re a scheduling headache right before the playoffs kick off. For the Red Sox, maybe the immediate stakes aren’t sky-high, but there’s always pride in finishing strong and seeing what their pitching staff can do. We’ll be watching to see how Payton Tolle keeps crushing it and, of course, for more updates on Crochet’s path back to the mound. Fingers crossed that nor’easter blows right past.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Over the Monster.
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