Could a new weekend schedule boost Cubs and Red Sox in postseason?

If the Chicago Cubs want to host a game in the National League Wild Card round, they will not only have to beat the Boston Red Sox this weekend on the road, but also overcome Mother Nature.

With a strong storm predicted to hit the Boston area later in the weekend, the Red Sox and Cubs will shift their schedule in order to give themselves the best chance to get all the games in a pivotal three-game set in before the rain hits.

Rather than the traditional Friday-Saturday-Sunday series schedule, the Cubs and Red Sox will now play a split doubleheader on Friday and a single game on Saturday. Sunday will now be an off day as both teams prepare to open wild-card play on Tuesday.

Chicago (87-70) entered play on Wednesday in a three-way tie in the NL Wild Card standings with the Philadelphia Phillies and San Diego Padres. Boston, meanwhile, is likely cemented as the second AL Wild Card team with an 84-73 record.

Could stormy weather actually help the Cubs and Red Sox?

Now with both the Cubs and Red Sox having an off day on Sunday, they will have an advantage over the other six wild-card teams (who will be playing on Sunday) with two consecutive off days before beginning play on Tuesday. That could be a crucial advantage in order to fully rest pitchers and potentially reset a rotation that could be in flux earlier in the series, depending on scenarios needed to gain the best seeding possible.

Sure, the two teams will have to exert extra effort on Friday during the doubleheader, but having an extra man added to the roster could help there. Additionally, with just one game on Saturday, depending on how that plays out in what is a chaotic NL Wild Card scenario, one or both teams could rest certain players or use pitching pieces they might not normally employ.

While there are still games to be played before a key matchup this weekend, both the Cubs and Red Sox can start planning now on how they will make the most of what will likely be a stress-filled and strange weekend inside Fenway Park.