CLEVELAND (Interstat) — The Chicago White Sox and Cleveland Guardians, both with 45 wins, open a pivotal three-game series Friday night at Progressive Field. First pitch is set for 7:10 p.m. under clear skies with temperatures near 89 degrees. Chicago (45-40) enters after a 6-1 loss at Baltimore on Wednesday, snapping a modest two-game winning streak. The White Sox hold a one-game edge over Cleveland in the standings despite losing three of their last four meetings entering Thursday’s series opener. Left-hander Noah Schultz is scheduled to start for Chicago. Schultz lasted only 4 1/3 innings in his last outing, allowing three earned runs on two hits with seven strikeouts in a loss at Baltimore. Cleveland (45-42) counter with left-hander Joey Cantillo. Cantillo has been sharp of late, winning his last start Wednesday against Texas by allowing two earned runs over five innings with four strikeouts. Over his previous three outings, he posted a 0.95 ERA across 19 innings, striking out 22. The Guardians have lost three of four entering the series. Cleveland dropped a two-game set to Texas after taking two of three from Seattle. Thursday’s 5-3 Chicago win gave the White Sox the edge in the season series, which stands at 2-2 after the teams split a four-game set in Chicago from June 22-24. The Guardians won the most recent meeting 4-3 in 10 innings on June 24. Interstat’s game simulator projects a 6-4 White Sox victory. Cleveland is installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus-1.5. The over/under is 8.5 runs. After Friday’s game, the series continues Saturday and Sunday. Chicago then returns home for a four-game set against Boston before the All-Star break. Cleveland travels to Minnesota for three games next week. Key players to watch include White Sox left fielder Sam Antonacci, who homered and drove in a run Wednesday, and Guardians catcher Austin Hedges, who homered and drove in three runs Wednesday.