BOSTON (Interstat) — The Detroit Tigers and Boston Red Sox open the final series of the regular season Saturday afternoon at Fenway Park with a critical three-game set that could decide a playoff berth.

The American League rivals, separated by just one game in the standings, begin play Saturday with the Red Sox (87-72) holding a narrow lead over the Tigers (86-73) for the final wild-card spot. The series opener is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. EDT under cloudy skies with a temperature around 77 degrees.

Detroit left-hander Connelly Early (1-1) is the probable starter for the Tigers, who arrive in Boston having won two of their last three games, including a 4-2 victory at Cleveland on Thursday. The Tigers’ bullpen was dominant in that win, with Will Vest, Troy Melton and Tommy Kahnle combining for six scoreless innings of relief.

The Tigers also took the first game of this series on Friday, beating the Red Sox 3-1.

Boston, meanwhile, looks to rebound after a 6-1 loss at Toronto on Thursday snapped a three-game winning streak. Starter Brayan Bello took the loss despite a solid outing, allowing two runs over five innings.

Recent history favors Detroit in the head-to-head matchup. The Tigers have won three of the four meetings this season, including a three-game sweep in Detroit from May 12-14 where they outscored the Red Sox 30-16.

According to a projection by Interstat, the Red Sox are favored to even the series with a simulated final score of Boston 6, Detroit 2.

The series continues Sunday before concluding Monday afternoon.