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\u201cI\u2019ve been watching Red Sox-Yankees since I was a kid,\u201d said manager Chad Tracy. \u201cThere\u2019s always a little extra when those two teams meet.\u201d<\/p>\n
More immediately: The Sox and Cubs will play a regular-season ending game at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla., at 3:05 p.m. Sunday<\/a>. The two teams raced out of Fenway to catch flights after Friday night\u2019s game.<\/p>\n Sunday will be of no consequence to the Sox, but could influence the Cubs\u2019 seeding and opponent in the NL wild-card round. It will be the first home game in Sox franchise history that is unexpectedly relocated from Boston to another city. (The only time the Sox \u201chosted\u201d games outside of Boston was in London against the Yankees in 2019<\/a>.)<\/p>\n MLB didn\u2019t announce its relocation decision until after the start of the second contest of the doubleheader. The unresolved circumstance, of course, was not ideal. But both teams recognized their powerlessness in the face of weather\u2019s whims. <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s the nature of Mother Nature if you will, and it\u2019s also the nature of the schedules being played,\u201d said Tracy. \u201cI wish it wasn\u2019t happening, but I understand what\u2019s going on, and so does the team. So we\u2019ll just deal with whatever gets put in front of us.\u201d<\/p>\n In the first game, the Sox dealt with an early 3-0 hole dug by the Cubs against Sox opener Alec Gamboa. Relievers Jake Bennett (3\u2154 innings in his first career bullpen appearance), Greg Weissert (1\u2153 scoreless innings), and Raymond Burgos (two innings) delivered seven shutout innings out of the bullpen to permit the Sox to come back.<\/p>\n Led by Anthony, who scored three runs while going 3 for 3 with two doubles, a triple, and a walk in his first career game with three extra-base hits; a game-tying two-run single from Adley Rutschman; and a lead-forging RBI double by Connor Wong in the seventh inning, the Sox secured their 86th victory of the year, and with it, a trip to New York.<\/p>\n Anthony\u2019s extra-base hits went to all fields: Doubles to left and center, and a triple down the right-field line in the seventh that allowed him to trot home on Wong\u2019s double.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I\u2019m going well, I\u2019m hitting it where it\u2019s pitched and taking advantage of that wall over there,\u201d said Anthony. \u201cIt\u2019s always great to hit the ball where it\u2019s pitched and use all fields.\u201d<\/p>\n One painful footnote: Mickey Gasper<\/a> left due to a right biceps injury after a swing-and-miss for his third strikeout in as many at-bats. He may be done for the year. <\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll get the final conclusion, but it\u2019s a pretty significant biceps injury,\u201d said Tracy. \u201cIt\u2019s probably going to take him out.\u201d<\/p>\n In the night game, the teams raced against time and weather, pushing up the starting time to 5:35 p.m. in hopes of staying in front of the approaching deluge.<\/p>\n With flag-starching winds whipping towards home plate, the two offenses did little. The game remained scoreless until the eighth, when Wilyer Abreu<\/a> smashed his AL-leading 38th double of the year high off the Wall in left-center to plate the only two runs. He was relieved to drive in his first runs since Sept. 12.<\/p>\n \u201cVery glad that I finally came through,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Brayan Bello (0.48 ERA over his last four games spanning 18\u2154 innings) started and delivered four shutout innings, and Friday callup Jedixson Paez hurled five scoreless innings of relief for his first big league win. It was the Sox\u2019 18th shutout of the year, the team\u2019s highest total since 1972 (20).<\/p>\n With that, the Sox left Boston for the final time in the regular season and a giant question looming: Will Fenway (where the Sox finished 41-39 this year) host a playoff game for the first time since 2021?<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s been five years. I think we have to give [the fans] that opportunity to see a playoff game again here in Fenway Park,\u201d Abreu said.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s why we packed for 11 days,\u201d added Tracy. \u201cYou\u2019re hoping to find your way back here.\u201d <\/p>\n Alex Speier can be reached at alex.speier@globe.com<\/a>. Follow him @alexspeier<\/a>.<\/p>\n