(Sports Network) - A pair of teams expected to contend in the competitive American League Central in 2007 meet for the first time this season tonight at Detroit's Comerica Park, where the defending league champion Tigers host the Chicago White Sox.

This three-game series features the last two AL pennant winners. Detroit engineered a remarkable one-year turnaround that culminated with an appearance in last October's Fall Classic, while the White Sox captured the 2005 AL Central title and followed with a dominating postseason run that brought the franchise its first world championship since 1919.

Both clubs currently trail the Minnesota Twins for first place in the division standings at the moment, although the Tigers sit just one game out of the top spot.

Chicago has split its first 14 games of 2007 but does enter this set off back- to-back victories over Texas. One night after Mark Buehrle became the first White Sox pitcher since 1991 to throw a no-hitter, the Southsiders used a three-run eighth inning to rally for a 6-4 decision over the Rangers in Thursday's finale.

Joe Crede singled in Jermaine Dye with the go-ahead run in the bottom of the eighth, and Rob Mackowiak followed with a two-run homer to give the Sox a 6-3 advantage.

A.J. Pierzynski had a three-run blast for Chicago earlier in the night, while Jim Thome tied a franchise record by drawing five walks.

Matt Thornton (1-1) earned the win with one perfect inning of relief and Bobby Jenks recorded his fourth save despite allowing a run in the ninth. White Sox starter Javier Vazquez went the first six innings and gave up three runs on four hits with four strikeouts and a walk.

Rookie John Danks continues his search for his first major-league victory when he takes the mound for Chicago this evening. The highly-regarded 22-year-old has pitched well in each of his initial two starts, but has been a victim of poor run support both times.

Danks made his big-league debut against Minnesota on April 8 and was outdueled by reigning Cy Young winner Johan Santana in a 3-1 loss. In his most recent outing, the left-hander held Cleveland to two runs on seven hits over 5 1/3 innings last Saturday, but came out on the short end of a 4-0 decision.

The Tigers counter with the struggling Chad Durbin, who hasn't won at the major-league level since 2004. The journeyman righty has been hit hard in each of his first two starts of the season, having surrendered 12 total runs over just 8 2/3 innings of work in games against Baltimore and Toronto.

Durbin took the loss versus the Orioles on April 9 after yielding six runs and nine hits in 4 2/3 innings, then was rocked for six runs and eight hits over the first four frames last Saturday in Toronto. He did not factor in the decision, however, of Detroit's 10-7 win.

The 29-year-old Durbin, who has also pitched for Kansas City, Cleveland and Arizona, is just 1-6 with an awful 10.66 earned run average in 10 previous appearances (nine starts) against Chicago. He did face the White Sox in relief last September and allowed a run on three hits over 1 1/3 innings.

Chicago won 12 of 19 meetings between the rivals last season and is 26-12 against the Tigers since the start of the 2005 campaign. The White Sox have gone 13-6 in Detroit over that span.