CHICAGO (Interstat) — The San Diego Padres, clinging to postseason hopes, open a three-game series against the struggling Chicago White Sox on Friday night at Guaranteed Rate Field.

The Padres (83-70) enter the final stretch of the season after dropping their series finale against the New York Mets 6-1 on Thursday. Despite the loss, their bullpen found a bright spot with scoreless outings from Kyle Hart and Bradgley Rodriguez. San Diego has gone 7-8 in its last 15 games and will look to stabilize against one of the American League’s weakest clubs.

Conversely, the White Sox (57-96) are mired in a difficult season and have lost three straight, including a 3-1 defeat to the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday. Their bullpen also showed flashes in the loss, with Steven Wilson striking out four over 1 1/3 innings.

Interstat’s game simulator projects a 5-3 victory for the Padres, who are given a 64.5% probability to win according to the service’s ELO system. San Diego is installed as a -1.5 run favorite on the spread, with the over/under for total runs set at 8.

The series represents a critical opportunity for the Padres to pad their record before a challenging homestand against the Milwaukee Brewers and Arizona Diamondbacks next week. For the White Sox, the final 10 games of the season offer a chance to play spoiler before heading out on a road trip to face the New York Yankees and Washington Nationals.

First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. CDT.