Sox Travel Chaos
Red Sox Face Delayed Start Against Mets Due to Charter Flight Chaos From Chicago
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Key Points
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The series opener’s start time was moved from 7:15 p.m. ET to 7:50 p.m. ET due to the Red Sox’s travel delays, as MLB announced.
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Friday’s game will be streamed exclusively on Apple TV and not on NESN once it begins.
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Boston’s lineup for the game includes Masataka Yoshida at designated hitter and Tsung-Che Cheng at shortstop, with Connor Wong catching Sonny Gray; Willson Contreras is suspended for the second game of five.
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Travel delays left the Sox stranded in Chicago, with the team arriving at LaGuardia around 4:35 p.m. ET (and reports noting around 5:00 p.m.) before marching toward Citi Field, prompting discussions of postponement but MLB opted to proceed if the team could get to New York.
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associate pitcher Garrett Whitlock indicated that the team was told they would play tonight rather than face an early postponement, reflecting the decision to proceed despite the travel chaos.
MLB pushed back the Red Sox-Mets series opener at Citi Field from 7:15 p.m. ET to 7:50 p.m. ET on Friday after Boston's charter flight was grounded in Chicago for hours, according to MassLive. The Red Sox arrived at LaGuardia Airport around 4:35 p.m. ET — just over three hours before the new first pitch — before rushing to Queens to play.
Boston enters the game riding a six-game winning streak and having won 11 of its last 13. The team swept the Chicago White Sox before the travel chaos hit. Despite the delays, MLB opted to proceed rather than postpone, MassLive reported.
Charter Flight Ping-Pongs Between Chicago and New York
The Red Sox's charter flight suffered multiple issues that kept the team stranded at Chicago's Midway Airport through Thursday night and into Friday afternoon, according to news.ssbcrack.com. Flight crews reportedly bounced between Chicago and LaGuardia before finally getting the team airborne. Arrival estimates at LaGuardia ranged from 4:10 p.m. to as late as 5:00 p.m. ET.
Once on the ground in New York, the team moved fast to get to Citi Field in Flushing, Queens. Postponement was discussed, but MLB chose to play if Boston could get there in time. Pitcher Garrett Whitlock said the team was told they would play tonight rather than face a postponement, according to MassLive.
Gray Takes the Mound as Contreras Serves Suspension
Sonny Gray is set to start for Boston against Mets rookie Nolan McLean. Connor Wong will catch Gray behind the plate. Masataka Yoshida is in the lineup at designated hitter, and Tsung-Che Cheng starts at shortstop, per MassLive.
Willson Contreras will not play. He is serving the second game of a five-game suspension. Friday's game will stream exclusively on Apple TV — it will not air on NESN, Boston's regional sports network, according to MassLive.
Boston's Hot Streak Survives a Season of Travel Headaches
This is not the first time travel has disrupted Boston's schedule. A similar delay hit the team in late June, when a Denver layover left the Red Sox landing around 5:00 a.m. ET before a series with the Yankees. Since that Denver trip, Boston has gone 11-2, including the current six-game win streak.
The Red Sox swept the White Sox in Chicago before the flight fiasco began. That momentum — and the team's ability to shake off disruptions — has drawn notice around the league, according to North Jersey. Boston heads into the All-Star break playing some of its best baseball of the season.
Mets and Red Sox Push to Play Despite 35-Minute Delay
MLB made the call official: first pitch moves to 7:50 p.m. ET, a 35-minute delay, according to MassLive. Both teams wanted to play. The Mets had a full crowd expected at Citi Field, and Boston was eager to keep its winning run going before the break.
Fans watching on Apple TV will see the full game. Those without access to Apple TV will not find it on NESN or another cable channel. The delay is a reminder of how fragile travel logistics can be — even for a team flying charter, per Lohud.
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