TOKYO (Interstat) — The Central League-leading Tokyo Yakult Swallows host the rival Yomiuri Giants on Friday night at Meiji Jingu Stadium in the opener of a three-game series.

First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. under cloudy skies with a game-time temperature near 59 degrees Fahrenheit (15 Celsius).

The Swallows (12-4) enter with the league’s best record and are fresh off a 2-0 shutout of Yokohama on Thursday. The Giants (9-7) are riding a two-game win streak after a 4-3 victory at Hanshin the same day.

Yomiuri will look to third baseman Bobby Dalbec to spark its offense. The import is coming off a three-hit, three-RBI performance Thursday that included a home run. He is batting .333 (5-for-15) over his last four games.

For Yakult, two-way player Kengo Matsumoto is a key figure. He pitched six scoreless innings of three-hit ball in Thursday’s win and also went 2-for-2 at the plate. On the mound this season, he has allowed two earned runs over 12 innings with 11 strikeouts.

The teams just met last weekend in a series at Tokyo Dome, with Yakult taking two of three games. The Swallows won the last meeting 2-0 on April 12.

According to Interstat, the Swallows have a 50.9% probability to win, with a projected final score of 5-4. Yomiuri is a pregame favorite with a spread of +1.5, and the over/under is set at 7.5 runs.

Following this series, the Giants host Chunichi for two games beginning Tuesday. The Swallows embark on a six-game road trip to Hiroshima and Chunichi starting Tuesday.