The final regular-season game between the Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox will be moved to Tampa Bay because of incoming weather issues. Tropicana Field will be available as the Tampa Bay Rays are finishing their season on the road with a matchup against the Philadelphia Phillies.
This is a strange situation: the two sides were forced to play a doubleheader on Friday in Boston before both teams travel down to Florida to put a bow on the 162-game regular season. An impending storm expected to bring high winds and rain to the Boston area forced this change.
Sunday’s matchup will be scheduled for 3:05 p.m. ET, the same time as every other game in the league on the final day of the MLB regular season. While both teams have already clinched a playoff berth, seeding implications remain.
Entering Friday’s nightcap, the Cubs are 88-72. This puts them in second place in the National League Wild Card race, but Chicago is just a half-game ahead of the Phillies and two games back of the San Diego Padres for the top Wild Card spot. This top Wild Card seed will host the second-place team in a best-of-three series in the opening round of the playoffs. The National League team that finishes as the third Wild Card seed will face the Braves in Atlanta.
The Red Sox are more solidified in their postseason standing and enter the second half of Friday’s doubleheader at 86-74. This puts them in second-place Wild Card position and sets them up for an opening-round matchup against the New York Yankees in the Bronx. Boston picked up a 4-3 win in the opening game of Friday’s doubleheader against the Cubs and will be eager to etch another chapter in the rivalry with the Yankees when the postseason officially arrives.
Odds haven’t been posted for Sunday’s matchup just yet. But looking ahead, the Red Sox hold +140 odds to beat the Yankees in the opening series and +1400 odds to win the World Series, the fifth-best odds in baseball. The Cubs are close behind, with the seventh-best odds to win the World Series at +1600 on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Stay tuned to DK Network for updates on the pitching matchups and full postseason implications on this final day of the MLB regular season.
