The Chicago Cubs and the Boston Red Sox will conclude the final regular-season game of the year at Tropicana Field — the home of the Tampa Bay Rays — due to a predicted Nor'easter storm that is due to hit Boston over the weekend.
The two teams were scheduled for a three-game series at Fenway Park, with games scheduled for Friday, Saturday and Sunday. However, the teams are completing a doubleheader Friday and then will travel to St. Petersburg for the series finale Sunday afternoon.
The Red Sox have clinched their playoff position after winning the first game of the doubleheader. They are the No. 2 American League Wild Card team and the No. 5 overall seed in the AL playoffs. They will face the New York Yankees in the opening round of the playoffs. Their position is locked in.
However, National League MVP candidate Pete Crow-Armstrong and the Cubs are still playing for postseason positioning. They have clinched an opportunity to compete in the playoffs, but it is not clear if they will be the No. 1, 2 or 3 Wild Card team in the National League. As a result, this closing series is vital to the Cubs. If they can find a way to finish with the same record as the San Diego Padres and the two teams tie for the top Wild Card spot, the Cubs would have home field advantage since they had a 6-1 advantage over the Padres in the season series.
After the Cubs and Red Sox finish the second game of their doubleheader Friday, they are planning to fly to Florida to escape the weather conditions that could cause significant problems in New England due to flooding and high winds.