TORONTO (Interstat) — A pivotal late-season series concludes Wednesday at Rogers Centre when the Toronto Blue Jays, clinging to American League playoff positioning, host the Boston Red Sox.

The Blue Jays (90-66) enter with a five-game lead over the Red Sox (85-71) in the standings, making this a critical opportunity for Boston to close the gap. The rivals split the first two games of the series, including a 1-1 tie on Tuesday that was suspended due to weather and will be completed prior to Wednesday’s scheduled contest.

A marquee pitching matchup is set, featuring Boston left-hander Garrett Crochet (17-5) against Toronto’s veteran right-hander Max Scherzer (5-4). Crochet has been one of the league’s most dominant pitchers this season, while the 40-year-old Scherzer brings his experience to the mound for the playoff-hopeful Jays.

The season series has been tightly contested, with Toronto holding a slight 6-5 edge. The results have been volatile, ranging from a 15-1 Red Sox rout to a 9-0 Blue Jays victory.

Boston arrives after losing two of three in Tampa Bay, including a 7-3 loss on Sunday. Toronto, meanwhile, took two of three from Kansas City, capped by an 8-5 win on Sunday where Vladimir Guerrero Jr. went 2-for-5 with two RBIs.

According to Interstat’s game simulator, Toronto is projected to win 6-4. Despite this, Boston has been installed as a slight pregame favorite with a spread of -1.5. The over/under is set at 7.5 runs.

Following Wednesday’s game, the Red Sox return home to face the Detroit Tigers, while the Blue Jays host the Tampa Bay Rays for another key divisional series.