Major League Baseball scrambled to move the Red Sox and Chicago Cubs series finale from Boston’s Fenway Park all the way down to Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, due to a serious weekend storm threat hammering the Boston area.
Unpredictable Weather, Unpredictable Schedule
This wasn’t just a minor tweak to the schedule either. The original three-game series between these playoff-bound teams was slated for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. But with heavy rains and high wind gusts on the forecast, MLB shifted Sunday’s game into a Friday doubleheader. Then, after Boston took the first game of that doubleheader 4-3, the league dropped another bomb: Saturday’s game was also heading south to the Tampa Bay Rays’ home field.
Manager Tracy’s Wild Card Prep
Red Sox manager Chad Tracy, ever the pragmatist, had already told his team on Thursday to pack for an eleven-day trip, just in case. “Pack for the next week and a half and be ready to roll,” Tracy recalled telling his players. Talk about being prepared for anything, right? He knows this is weird: “It’s strange. You usually know who you’re going to play and when you’re going to lay them. … At least we’re prepared to leave.”
Both teams were heading to Florida right after Friday’s second game. The Red Sox have a best-of-three Wild Card Series against the New York Yankees starting Tuesday, so this impromptu road trip and change of venue is a wild curveball right before a crucial postseason run.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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