Major League Baseball is moving the game out of Boston due to a nor’easter impacting New England. First pitch is 3:05 p.m. Sunday at Tropicana Field.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Tropicana Field will host one final regular-season game in 2026 — and the Tampa Bay Rays won’t be on the field.

Major League Baseball announced Friday that it is moving the season finale between the Chicago Cubs and the Boston Red Sox from Fenway Park to Tropicana Field. The league is pulling the game out of Boston because of a powerful nor’easter expected to impact New England through the weekend.



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MLB previously rescheduled Sunday’s Cubs-Red Sox game to Friday as part of a day-night doubleheader at Fenway Park, saying the forecast did not make it likely that the game could be played Sunday. Now, the league has decided not to take any chances with Saturday’s weather either.

Baseball fans will be paying attention to this weekend’s series because of its playoff implications. Both the Cubs and the Red Sox have clinched a postseason berth, but Chicago is fighting for a higher Wild Card spot. Entering Friday, the Cubs were the fifth seed in the National League, one game behind the San Diego Padres and one game ahead of the Philadelphia Phillies. The Phillies are hosting the Rays this weekend at Citizens Bank Park. Boston has locked up the American League’s No. 5 seed.

Another reason this weekend’s game could be a hot ticket: both teams’ fans travel well. The Cubs and the Red Sox have drawn above-average crowds when they’ve visited Tropicana Field in 2026. The Cubs visited for the Trop’s first three games since Hurricane Milton, which drew 66,974 fans — an average of 22,325 per game. Boston’s six games at Tropicana Field averaged 20,331 fans. That is well above the Rays’ overall season average attendance of 17,469.

This is not the first time Tropicana Field has hosted games moved due to inclement weather. In August 2017, a three-game series between the Houston Astros and the Texas Rangers was relocated to St. Pete due to Hurricane Harvey’s impact on Houston.


When is first pitch for the Cubs-Red Sox game?

Gates at Tropicana Field will open 90 minutes before first pitch, which is set for 3:05 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 27.

Tickets are available in the 100 level and 200 level, subject to availability, and can be purchased on the Rays website.