Cubs, Red Sox weather drama loses all meaning after Padres lock up top NL Wild Card spot

With their victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday night, the San Diego Padres have clinched the top National League Wild Card spot. The Chicago Cubs will be headed to San Diego for the NL Wild Card series, and suddenly, all the drama that centered around Chicago's series with the Boston Red Sox this weekend has become moot.

The Cubs and Red Sox are set to play Game 162 of the regular season at Tropicana Field after a nor'easter across the Boston area forced the teams to play a doubleheader on Friday before leaving for Florida that same night.

Heading into the series, it was looking like the Cubs were going to need to play Sunday's game to determine Wild Card seeding. A thought that quickly looked less likely after they swept by the Red Sox in Friday's doubleheader.

Padres clinching top Wild Card spot just made Cubs, Red Sox weather mess a moot point

Originally, the Cubs and Red Sox had both agreed to play this weekend's series at Wrigley Field. The Cubs would have reimbursed the Red Sox for the revenue lost, and it seemed like the best possible outcome, considering the weather forecast in Boston. Despite the two teams having that understanding, both the San Diego Padres and Philadelphia Phillies objected to that idea, and Major League Baseball caved.

Of course, in adhering to the complaints of the Phillies and Padres, Major League Baseball ignored the nightmare travel situation that both the Cubs and Red Sox will be facing for their respective Wild Card series.

While the Padres look the wiser, considering they now will be hosting the Cubs later this week, it's hard not to laugh at the Phillies' situation. Philadelphia was so worried about what the Cubs would be doing for their series against the Red Sox that they forgot they still need to win games.

The Phillies enter the final day of the regular season with a one-game lead over the Arizona Diamondbacks for the last Wild Card spot. For the Phillies, it's win and in. But if they lose to the Tampa Bay Rays, and the Arizona Diamondbacks defeat the Padres, then the Diamondbacks would be the last team in, considering they hold the tie-breaker over Philadelphia.

With the result of Sunday's game against the Red Sox no longer meaning anything, it will be curious to see how Craig Counsell manages the pitching staff. Shota Imanaga is the scheduled starter, but chances are it will be a shortened outing, leaving room for him to be available against the Padres later this week.

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