Mother Nature threw a major wrench into MLB's schedule last weekend with a huge Nor'easter on the East Coast, disrupting several games during the final weekend of MLB's regular season.
The two teams most affected were the Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs, who had to completely restructure their three-game series at Fenway Park. The two teams played a doubleheader in Boston on Friday, then finished the series on Sunday at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Given how both teams collapsed in the wild card round, it's fair to wonder if the extra travel played a role in their early exits. Both teams looked lifeless and got swept in historic fashion this week.
The Red Sox were massacred by the New York Yankees, who outscored them 18-2 in the most lopsided wild card round series to date. The Cubs didn't fare much better, getting outscored 12-1 by the San Diego Padres.
Meanwhile, the Yankees' game was rained out on Sunday and not made up, giving them an extra day to rest and prepare for Boston. Chicago had to fo fly across the country to San Diego and face the hottest team in baseball.
It's impossible to know how much, if at all, the weird schedule affected both clubs, but it certainly didn't help.