Red Sox and Cubs Set for Schedule Change Ahead of Rainy Weekend Series

A looming Nor'easter storm is forcing a reshuffling of games for two Wild Card teams this weekend.

by Ezra Lombardi

Sep 23, 2026

The Boston Red Sox ground crew remove the field tarp after a rain delay before a game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Fenway Park.

Eric Canha-Imagn Images

In the hopes of minimizing the impact of a potentially treacherous weather weekend on the East Coast, the Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs are going to get games in early.

Ahead of the final series of the regular season, Boston is expecting to bear the brunt of a Nor’easter storm that could bring heavy rain, wind, coastal flooding, and other unsuitable conditions for baseball at Fenway Park.

The Red Sox, likely fixed into the No. 2 Wild Card spot with five games remaining, would have every desire to get these games in and a clear aversion to postponing any games to Monday, when they expect to enjoy one day off before traveling to the Bronx to face the New York Yankees in the Wild Card series.

The Cubs, on the other hand, still have a lot on the line. Caught in a three-way tie for the National League Wild Card’s top spot with the Philadelphia Phillies and San Diego Padres, Chicago will look to finish strong to clinch home field for their own Wild Card series and to hold off the still alive Arizona Diamondbacks.

This discrepancy would become an obvious problem for each of the aforementioned teams if games are unable to be played at Fenway on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday. Chatter rose and was promptly shut down about the use of a neutral site. But the issue is not being ignored, and according to Tim Healey of The Boston Globe, the clubs have come together on a resolution that should benefit both sides.

Healey reports that the Red Sox and Cubs plan to play a split doubleheader on Friday. As of Wednesday, the forecast expects rain to hold off most of the day on Friday, only beginning late at night and picking up into the morning on Saturday, at which point heavy storms are expected to continue through Sunday night.

With that, it is still unknown if the third and final game of the series will be scheduled for Saturday or Sunday. Per Healey’s report, the “best chance” would be for Saturday, but considering the mass flooding expected for both days, it seems that postponing this game until Monday would still be an option.

Before a change, the games appear on the schedule as a 7:10 p.m. start on Friday, a 7:15 p.m. start on Saturday, and a 3:05 p.m. start on Sunday as all MLB teams conclude their season at the same time. With National League seeding potentially still in play, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the league push for Sunday’s start time to remain intact until it is clear the game cannot be played.