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Phillies Can Benefit Greatly From Cubs/Red Sox Schedule Change
Aug 29, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Philadelphia Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly (8) looks on during the game against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Phillies Can Benefit Greatly From Cubs/Red Sox Schedule Change

Originally posted on Philadelphia Phillies on SI
By Kenneth Teape  |  Last updated Sep 24, 2026 3:00 PM ET
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The Philadelphia Phillies have a little bit of work left before they officially clinch a spot in the National League playoff field.

With four games remaining in the regular season, there is a lot at stake for the team. There is still a chance they won’t have to leave Philadelphia, with the No. 1 Wild Card seed still within reach.

If they get that spot, the NLWC would have the three-game series against whoever is the No. 5 seed played at Citizens Bank Park. Getting to play in front of a raucous crowd of Phillies faithful would certainly help the team. And the odds of that occurring have increased because of a change to the schedule that MLB made.

With inclement weather expected to hit the East Coast this weekend with a nor’easter, the three-game series between the Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox is being condensed into two games. The teams will now play a split doubleheader on Friday, which puts the Cubs in a brutal spot.

Condensed Cubs/Red Sox series is great news for Phillies

IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Pushing games back is something that clubs are able to adjust for rather easily. Normally, a starting pitcher would just have his outing pushed back a day. But moving a game up two days presents an obstacle that puts Chicago in a precarious position.

"They never move games up and especially within a five-day window of a starting rotation," Cubs manager Craig Counsell said Wednesday, via Jesse Rogers of ESPN. "So we can't have somebody ready to pitch on Saturday. They just moved games up on us. I understand there's extenuating circumstances, but you just don't see that happening."

Chicago is going to be left shorthanded as a result of this change. Their projected starters are Drew Peterson and Clay Holmes for the doubleheader on Friday. Right now, Matthew Boyd is listed as the probable starter on Saturday.

However, Rogers did mention that Shota Imanaga could be an option to start Saturday as well on short rest. That is, if there is even a game played that day, because the weather is expected to get nasty in Boston.

"What I know is happening is we're going to play three games," Counsell said. "So if weather is an issue, then yeah, we're going to have to figure out a place to play a third game."

All options have been discussed, including moving games to another venue. Neither team wants to play on Monday, with the Wild Card round set to start on Tuesday; both teams are set to start their series that day, with the Red Sox almost certainly heading to the Bronx to play the New York Yankees.

Whatever decision the league makes, this is a great opportunity for the Phillies to take advantage of. The Cubs have a tough situation to deal with, which is going to stress the pitching staff in the final series of the regular season.

Philadelphia already had an edge in starting pitching if they were to get matched up with Chicago, and it would increase given the recent developments. The uncertainty surrounding Game 162 for the Cubs could leave them scrambling to complete a game or doing some extra travel a day before the NLWC begins.

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This article first appeared on Philadelphia Phillies on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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