MLB gives Yankees schedule advantage as weather makes Red Sox final series insanely complicated

Never underestimate a Boston Red Sox team fueled by travel trouble. Whenever Boston encounters Delta-related bumps and bruises this season, it always seems to galvanize them (and Chad Tracy instructed them to pack for 11 days, a quote that could fire up their love of logistics). That said, MLB seems to have made a number of weather-related decisions intended to even out the playing field and sap a potentially sopping Sunday of its baseball meaning, and both the Yankees and Sox may get some time off their feet before the Wild Card Series.

The two sides are finally locked in to facing one another, and we got more clarity on the matter on Friday than we ever expected, as both the Yankees and Sox crammed doubleheaders in before the weekend Nor'Easter arrives. The Yankees' Saturday game became a Friday affair, and ... we'll let you in on a little secret, we don't think the eliminated Orioles will be playing Game 162 in the middle of a marsh to end the weekend, either.

Yankees due for more rest than Red Sox as changing weather, Nor'Easter looms

That could give the Yankees Saturday, Sunday, and Monday to rest before Tuesday's Wild Card Game 1, which may be started by any one of three starting pitchers. It's a chaotic good time. Meanwhile, the Red Sox will have to play the final game against the Cubs, for seeding purposes, and they may be doing so in Tampa, Florida at Tropicana Field. Tentatively, that is scheduled for Sunday at 3:05 PM.

The second game of Friday's Sox doubleheader was just moved up a half hour to 5:35 PM, too, in order to beat the dastardly Boston rains. You're telling me they're going to successfully escape in the dead of night mid-storm to The Trop, then find their way back, while the Yankees sit at home and potentially play Sunday? Odds are very low this ends up tipping the scales in a tight-as-hell clash, but at the very least, the Friday doubleheader is unlikely to earn Boston some sort of absurd rest advantage, and the Yankees' Friday slate puts them on equal footing (before the Trop trip).

Competitive advantages are going to be very important down the stretch as several razor-thin series approach. Hell, that's the reason the Padres and Phillies, the Cubs' two Wild Card competitors, put the kibosh on an original plan to move these games to Chicago and give 'em added home games instead of neutral-site affairs.

Instead of one team being groggy, it seems both will be relatively well-rested. Instead of one team being crippled by injury, it seems the loss of Aaron Judge may be countered by a compromised Willson Contreras. The Yankees and Red Sox always find a way to even out, seemingly splitting their season series more often than not. Fittingly, the pre-playoff weather plans to play along, too.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow