(Sports Network) - The Toronto Blue Jays begin what figures to be a crucial seven-game homestand with the first of four consecutive meetings against the Chicago White Sox tonight at Rogers Centre.

The Blue Jays return home residing at the bottom of the American League East standings with a 12-17 record that has led to speculation regarding manager John Gibbons' job security. Toronto has lost eight of its last 10 games, although the slumping club did end its road trip on a good note Thursday in Boston behind an excellent performance out of starting pitcher A.J. Burnett.

Burnett (3-2) limited the Red Sox to three hits and worked around five walks in 7 2/3 shutout innings to lead the Jays to a 3-0 victory. Jesse Carlson recorded the final out of the eighth and B.J. Ryan tossed a scoreless ninth to notch his third save of the season.

Alex Rios sparked Toronto offensively with three hits, including a solo homer, and two runs scored. Scott Rolen added an RBI single for the Blue Jays, who completed their nine-game trek with a 2-7 record.

Toronto, which is 5-7 at the Rogers Centre so far this year, will hand the ball to Shaun Marcum in this evening's opener. The unheralded right-hander has delivered a quality start in four of his five 2008 outings, although that wasn't enough to earn him a win Saturday in Kansas City.

Against the Royals, Marcum gave up just two runs and four hits over seven strong innings but came out on the short end of a 2-1 decision. It was the Missouri native's second straight losing start.

Marcum made two starts against the White Sox last season and went 1-0 with a 3.27 ERA in those games, while yielding just six Chicago hits in 11 innings of work.

The White Sox sit atop the AL Central at the moment with a 14-12 record, but Ozzie Guillen's squad did not get their six-game road trip off to a good start. Chicago lost both matchups with division rival Minnesota earlier this week, including a 4-3 setback in Wednesday's finale.

The Twins' Justin Morneau snapped a 3-3 deadlock with a seventh-inning double off Boone Logan that plated Carlos Gomez, who led off with an infield single against reliever Ehren Wasserman (0-1).

Nick Masset started for Chicago and pitched the first four innings, allowing three runs on five hits.

Carlos Quentin had a solo homer for the White Sox while Jim Thome and Nick Swisher knocked in runs with a double and single, respectively. Quentin's blast was his seventh of the season, which is tied with teammate Joe Crede for the AL lead.

Mark Buehrle takes the mound tonight for Chicago and hopes to stop a string of three straight winless starts. The quick-working lefty lost back-to-back matchups with Oakland and Tampa Bay before recording a no-decision against Baltimore on Saturday.

Buehrle allowed just three hits to the Orioles over six innings, but Baltimore managed to scratch out three runs off the veteran. Buehrle still left the contest with a 5-3 lead before the Chicago bullpen surrendered two runs in the seventh frame.

The 29-year-old has faced the Blue Jays 10 times previously (9 starts) and owns a 3-2 record with a 3.12 ERA against Toronto. Buehrle gave up just two runs over a combined 16 innings in two starts versus the Jays last season.

The Blue Jays went 4-3 against Chicago in 2007 and won three of four from the White Sox at the Rogers Centre from May 31-June 3 of last season.