The hottest team in baseball heads to Wrigley Field on Friday afternoon, as the Boston Red Sox carry a 10-game win streak into their first meeting of the season with the Chicago Cubs.

Boston, now 53-45 and sitting third in the AL East, has been on a tear behind an explosive offense and dominant pitching. Over their last 10 games, the Red Sox are batting .299 and have posted a stingy 1.90 ERA while outscoring opponents by 46 runs.

Lucas Giolito will take the mound for Boston. The right-hander owns a 6-1 record with a 3.36 ERA and 64 strikeouts. He’ll go up against Colin Rea, who’s been solid for Chicago at 7–3 with a 3.91 ERA across 20 appearances.

The Cubs lead the NL Central at 57–39 and have gone 30–16 at home this season. They’re especially dangerous when their offense gets going, sporting a 41–8 record in games where they’ve scored at least five runs.

Boston has had mixed results on the road, going 21–25 outside Fenway Park, but their recent stretch has included several statement wins. The Red Sox are 33–11 in games when they reach the five-run mark, a sign their offensive output continues to be the driving force.

Center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong leads the Cubs with 25 home runs and 71 RBIs, while Michael Busch has stayed hot at the plate, hitting .351 over the past 10 games.

For Boston, Ceddanne Rafaela has 21 doubles and 14 home runs this season, while utility man Romy Gonzalez has erupted lately, going 16-for-39 with five doubles and three home runs over the past 10 games.

First pitch is set for 2:20 p.m. EDT at Wrigley Field. Chicago enters as a slight favorite, with the BetMGM line listing the Cubs at -138 and the Red Sox at +116. The over/under is set at 8.5 runs.

Injury-wise, both teams remain banged up. Boston is still missing key arms like Kutter Crawford and Tanner Houck, while Chicago is without starters like Justin Steele and Jameson Taillon.

With both clubs chasing postseason aspirations, Friday’s opener could set the tone for a potential October preview.