The Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs are staring down an absolutely wild Friday doubleheader at Fenway Park, with game times slated for 1:05 PM and 6:05 PM, all in a desperate scramble to get some baseball in before a nasty nor’easter blows up their weekend. This isn’t just a little drizzle, either; we’re talking about a strong, slow-moving, and retrograding storm that’s got meteorologists scratching their heads on exactly when and where the worst of it hits.
The Models Are Fighting Over This Nor’easter
Seriously, it’s like the weather models can’t agree on anything, which is exactly why this whole situation is so dicey for the Red Sox and Cubs. You’ve got the RGEM, which is the short-range Canadian model, predicting this low is gonna haul butt north way quicker, then just stall out and get stuck. If that happens, forget about it: harsh, full-blown nor’easter conditions blast Fenway during the first game on Friday afternoon. That would throw a wrench into trying to get all three scheduled games in over the weekend, no doubt.
But then there’s the HRRR model, another short-range one, and it sees things completely different. The HRRR has that same low hanging much further south late Friday afternoon. So, instead of getting slammed right away, the initial push of moisture into eastern Massachusetts just falls apart as it moves north. Instead, new, more powerful bands of rain are going to form closer to the low further south. And honestly, looking at all the data, the HRRR feels like it’s closer to what’s actually gonna happen. That means we’re probably looking at the Red Sox and Cubs trying to play ball in some on-and-off rain Friday afternoon and evening to get these first two games wrapped up. Given what’s supposedly coming on Saturday, MLB’s tolerance for playing through less-than-ideal conditions is probably gonna be super high. They’re gonna push hard to get these games in.
Get Ready For Howling Winds in Fenway
Even if the rain holds off a bit, don’t think for a second it’ll be calm. The wind, oh man, the wind is gonna be absolutely howling, and it’ll probably show up well before any rain. The National Weather Service has already slapped Boston with a High Wind Watch, warning of gusts up to 50 mph that could last right through Saturday evening. On Friday afternoon and evening, even before the skies really open up, we’re talking northerly gusts topping 35 mph. Imagine that! That means incredibly blustery conditions, with the wind ripping straight in from left field during whatever baseball they manage to play. It’s gonna be a rough ride for anyone in the stands, for sure. But hey, there’s always an upside, right? That kind of wind could actually be a good thing for Patrick Sandoval’s ERA, assuming he takes the mound at some point and gets to pitch with those conditions blowing in.
So, Friday’s doubleheader won’t just be a battle between two teams; it’s gonna be a straight-up fight against Mother Nature. With those northerly gusts tearing in from left field and the on-again, off-again rain, it’s going to be a wild ride to see how they manage to play any baseball at all. And with Saturday looking even worse, getting these two games completed on Friday is obviously the biggest goal for everyone involved.
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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