(Best E Casino) - The Chicago White Sox try to maintain their spot atop the AL Central when they open a three-game series with the Texas Rangers this evening at U.S. Cellular Field.

Chicago dropped two of three over the weekend to the lowly Kansas City Royals, including an 8-7 loss in Sunday's finale. Joe Crede had a three-run homer, while Nick Swisher also went deep and finished 2-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored for the White Sox, who are just a half-game ahead of the Minnesota Twins for the top spot in the division.

Matt Thornton (4-2) received the loss after giving up one run on one hit and a walk in the eighth inning.

Heading to the hill for the White Sox tonight will be righty Javier Vazquez, who is 7-7 with a 4.61 ERA. Vazquez hasn't pitched since July 9, when he received a no-decision against the Royals. He surrendered six runs and 11 hits in 5 2/3 innings of a 7-6 win.

Vazquez has faced the Rangers four times and is 2-1 with a 6.29 ERA against them.

Texas will counter with Scott Feldman, who is making his 15th start and 17th appearance of the season. Feldman was recalled from Double-A Frisco to start in place of Eric Hurley, who was originally scheduled to pitch.

Texas enters this series on the heels of dropping two of three over the weekend to the Twins. The Rangers, though, avoided a sweep on Sunday, as Taylor Teagarden clubbed his first career home run and Vicente Padilla tossed seven shutout innings in a 1-0 win at the Metrodome.

Padilla (11-5), who was activated from the 15-day disabled list prior to the game, scattered three hits and walked two. The 30-year-old had been sidelined with neck stiffness since July 5. Texas pitchers did not allow a hit beyond the fifth.

Brandon Boggs and Milton Bradley had the other hits for Texas, which managed just three runs in the three-game series.

Texas took two of three from the White Sox earlier in the season and is 6-3 against them since the start of last season.