Pack for 11 Days: The Red Sox Clinch, Then Chase a Storm to Florida

On Thursday, Red Sox manager Chad Tracy told his players to pack for 11 days, just in case. By Friday night it made sense.

Boston swept a doubleheader from the Cubs, clinched the American League's No. 5 seed, and learned it would open the playoffs at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday. Then, with a big storm on the way to New England, MLB moved Saturday's game out of Fenway Park entirely. It will be played Sunday afternoon at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, and both teams flew south after the nightcap.

Tracy called it strange, since you usually know who and when you're playing. At least, he said, they were ready to leave.

How they clinched

The first game was supposed to be Sunday's but was moved up for the weather. Boston trailed by three and came back, with Connor Wong's double in the seventh putting it ahead for good in a 4-3 win. The second was scoreless until Wilyer Abreu doubled in two runs in the eighth. Rookie Jedixson Páez threw five innings for his first major league win.

The Cubs dropped two games behind San Diego for the NL's top wild card.

It's the second year in a row the Red Sox open October in the Bronx. The Yankees won last year's series 2-1, and this is the seventh time the rivals have met in the postseason.