The Tampa Bay Rays are concluding the 2026 MLB regular season on Sunday on the road in Philadelphia, where they’re closing out a series with the Phillies.
The Rays’ home ballpark, though, will also be home to an MLB game on Sunday — the Boston Red Sox against the Chicago Cubs.
It’s highly unusual, and it will raise more than a few eyebrows from those who happen to see a highlight and can’t figure out why the Red Sox and Cubs are playing somewhere other than Fenway Park or Wrigley Field.
There’s a good and obvious reason for it, but it’s also going to be worth watching how it impacts things going forward.
Why Is Red Sox-Cubs at Tropicana Field?
The Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs were supposed to close the season with a three-game series at Fenway Park.
They were supposed to play one game on Friday, one game on Saturday and one game on Sunday.
A brutal nor’easter storm was rolling in, though, and that changed everything.
MLB went through a variety of scheduling options, and they ended up at this one that is currently being carried out.
The Red Sox and Cubs played a doubleheader on Friday, trying to beat the storm.
Then they got out of town and flew to Florida.
Tropicana Field is technically in St. Petersburg, but it houses the Tampa Bay Rays.
Because the Rays are on the road, MLB chose the ‘Trop’ as the site for the game. It helped its cause by the simple fact that it has a roof. If the league was going to move a game somewhere due to weather, it sure didn’t want it then affected by other weather.
So the turf and dome of Tropicana Field will host two of the league’s oldest franchise for a rare neutral-site game on the final day of the MLB regular season.
What’s Next?
The Red Sox and Cubs actually both know what’s next for them in regards to the playoffs.
Both of them will be the No. 5 seed in their respective league, meaning they both go to the 4-seed for a best-of-three Wild Card Series.
For the Red Sox in the American League, that means a trip back to the Northeast to play at Yankee Stadium.
For the Cubs in the National League, they fly west to San Diego to take on the Padres.
The playoffs start on Tuesday, so the flight down to Florida added some extra travel for both these teams that will now be going on the road to begin the postseason.
Their seedings can’t change on Sunday, so it’ll be a totally bizarre day at Tropicana Field.
Why Rays’ Tropicana Field Is Hosting Red Sox-Cubs Game