PITTSBURGH (Interstat) — The Milwaukee Brewers, owners of the best record in the National League, look to continue their dominance Friday night when they open a three-game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park.

First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. EDT under a forecast of 83 degrees and rain.

Milwaukee (58-34) enters the game with a commanding lead in the NL Central, while Pittsburgh (47-47) sits at .500, looking to establish momentum after a split of a four-game set against Atlanta.

The Brewers won two of three in St. Louis earlier this week, taking the series behind strong pitching. Right-hander Garrett Stallings, a key bullpen arm for Milwaukee, has been effective in limited recent work. In his last two outings, Stallings has thrown three scoreless innings, striking out four while allowing just one hit. He tossed two hitless frames Wednesday against the Cardinals in a 5-1 loss and worked a scoreless inning July 2 against Cincinnati.

For Pittsburgh, center fielder Jake Mangum has been the hottest hitter in the lineup. On Thursday, Mangum went 4-for-5 with a home run and three RBIs in a 10-5 loss to Atlanta. Over his last 10 games, Mangum is batting .345 (10-for-29) with one homer and four RBIs, though he has been inconsistent, going 0-for-7 in two of those contests.

The Pirates took two of three from Milwaukee in their most recent meeting, a series in late April at American Family Field. Pittsburgh outscored the Brewers 12-8 in that set, including a 6-0 shutout on April 24.

Interstat’s game simulator projects a high-scoring affair, with a final score of Milwaukee 7, Pittsburgh 6. The Brewers hold a 60.9% win probability according to Interstat’s ELO system, though sportsbooks have installed Pittsburgh as a pregame favorite at -1.5. The over/under is set at 8.5 runs.

Milwaukee will send a pitcher to be announced to the mound. The Brewers have won six of their last eight games and are 14-6 in their past 20 contests overall. Their offense is averaging 5.1 runs per game.

Pittsburgh counters with a starter to be named later. The Pirates are 7-3 in their last 10 games and have won four of their last six at home. The bullpen has been a strength, posting a 3.67 ERA over the last two weeks.

The series continues Saturday and Sunday before both teams enter the All-Star break. Milwaukee then returns home for a six-game homestand against Miami and the New York Mets, while Pittsburgh heads to Cleveland and New York for a road trip.