(Sports Network) - With trade rumors swirling around him, Mark Buehrle takes this hill this evening for the Chicago White Sox, as they continue their four- game set with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays at Tropicana Field.

Buehrle, who is due to become a free agent after the season, has been mentioned in trade rumors all week long since talks between he and the team regarding a contract extension apparently broke down over the weekend. However, there is talk now that talks have resumed and a long-term deal could be ironed out by the weekend.

The 28-year-old left-hander enters tonight's tilt on a losing note, though, after suffering a tough-luck loss to the Chicago Cubs on Friday. Buehrle gave up two runs and four hits over seven innings of that one, but fell to 4-4 on the year nonetheless to go along with a 3.39 earned run average.

Over his last three starts, though, he is 2-1 with a 1.57 ERA.

Buehrle received a no-decision against the Devil Rays earlier this season, but is 5-1 lifetime against them with a 4.35 ERA in 11 games, six of which have been starts.

Tampa will counter with rookie Andy Sonnanstine, who is 1-2 with a 6.58 ERA. Sonnanstine dropped his second straight start on Friday against the Los Angeles Dodgers, as he allowed four runs and 10 hits in seven innings.

Sonnanstine has never faced the White Sox.

In the second game of this set on Tuesday, Andy Gonzalez hit his first career homer and drove in three runs to lead the Chicago to a 6-1 win. Jim Thome also went deep while Jon Garland tossed seven-plus strong innings for the White Sox, who have won two in a row in response to a five-game slide.

This is the first time Chicago has put together two straight wins since a three-game streak from May 20-22.

Garland (5-5) allowed just the one run on five hits while striking out three and walking a pair.

James Shields (6-3), meanwhile, was roughed up for five runs on nine hits over seven innings for Tampa Bay, which has dropped five of seven. He finished with 11 strikeouts, one shy of his career high.

Greg Norton homered to account for all of Tampa's offense.

These teams split a rain-shortened two-game series earlier in the year, but the White Sox have won six of the last 10 matchups. Chicago is also 13-8 in the series since the start of the 2004 campaign.