SEATTLE (Interstat) — The Minnesota Twins and Seattle Mariners, two teams hovering near .500, open a three-game series Friday night at T-Mobile Park.

The Twins (55-55) enter having won three of their last four, including a 4-3 victory Thursday against Kansas City. Right-hander Bailey Ober (7-6, 4.02 ERA) is scheduled to start for Minnesota. Ober earned the win in that game, allowing two earned runs on four hits over six innings with three strikeouts. He has worked at least five innings in each of his last four starts, posting a 3-3 record and 3.54 ERA over that span.

The Mariners (53-56) dropped the finale of their road trip Wednesday, falling 4-2 to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Right-hander Emerson Hancock (9-8, 4.15 ERA) is slated to take the mound for Seattle. Hancock was tagged for three earned runs on eight hits in five innings in that loss. He has been inconsistent of late, but did fire seven scoreless innings against Toronto on July 5.

Seattle won two of three games in the teams’ previous meeting this season, April 27-29 in Minneapolis.

Minnesota’s offense was powered Thursday by Kody Clemens, who hit a home run and drove in four. The Twins have split their last six games. Seattle has dropped two of three.

Interstat’s game simulator projects a 6-5 Twins victory. Seattle is a -1.5 favorite on the spread, with the over/under set at 7.5.

Ober will look to build on a strong July and give the Twins bullpen a respite after a stretch of 10 games in 11 days. Hancock will aim to steady a Seattle rotation that has been uneven in the second half.

The series continues Saturday and Sunday before Minnesota travels to Kansas City and Seattle hosts Detroit.