CHICAGO (Interstat) — The Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers open a pivotal three-game series Friday night at American Family Field, with the first-place Brewers looking to extend their lead in the NL Central.

Milwaukee (49-29) enters with the best record in the league, holding a 7½-game edge over the second-place Cubs (42-37). The Brewers won all three games of their previous meeting in Chicago on May 18-20 by a combined 19-5 score.

First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. CDT under cloudy skies with temperatures around 65 degrees.

Pitching Matchup

Right-hander Jacob Misiorowski (8-3) starts for the Cubs. The rookie has been a bright spot for Chicago, which has won four of its past five games. His last outing was a no-decision on June 20 against Toronto.

Milwaukee counters with left-hander Shane Drohan, who earned a win Wednesday at Cincinnati, allowing five hits and no earned runs over 4⅓ innings with five strikeouts. Drohan has a 3.96 ERA across his past three starts.

Players to Watch

Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson has been on a tear, going 5-for-8 with eight RBIs in the first two games of the series at New York this week. Over his past six games, he is 9-for-22 with two home runs and 11 RBIs.

Brewers catcher William Contreras went 3-for-3 with a home run and two RBIs in Wednesday’s 6-5 win over Cincinnati. He is hitting .304 on the season and has been a key bat in the middle of Milwaukee’s lineup.

Recent Results

The Cubs completed a two-game sweep at the New York Mets on Wednesday with a 10-5 victory. Swanson drove in four runs, and designated hitter Pedro Ramírez also had three hits and two RBIs.

The Brewers took two of three in Cincinnati, capped by Wednesday’s one-run win. Reliever Joel Kuhnel earned the save with 1⅓ scoreless innings.

Series Outlook

The game is the first of a six-game homestand for Milwaukee, which also hosts Cincinnati beginning Monday. The Cubs begin a three-game series against San Diego on Monday after this weekend’s set.

Interstat’s game simulator projects a 7-6 Cubs victory.