(Sports Network) - Carlos Quentin is proving to be one of the best offseason pickups by any club this year. The Chicago White Sox outfielder will attempt to guide the first-place club to another win tonight in the opener of a three- game set with the Cleveland Indians at Jacobs Field.

Quentin was acquired on December 3 for minor-leaguer Chris Carter from the Arizona Diamondbacks, which could afford to let Quentin go due to a crowded outfield. The right-handed hitter is proving that may have been a mistake, as he leads the American League with 14 homers, is second in runs batted in with 43, and also holds a .301 average on the season.

Quentin had a huge game on Sunday, belting a pair of homers and collecting three hits in all in Chicago's 3-2 victory over the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. He belted a two-run homer in the third inning before smacking the game-winning solo shot in the bottom of the ninth, which gave the White Sox wins in nine of their last 11 games.

Jose Contreras allowed two runs on three hits and struck out 10 for Chicago, but came away with a no-decision. Scott Linebrink (2-0) hurled a perfect ninth to pick up the win.

White Sox first baseman Paul Konerko missed the three-game series with a sore right hand, but could play tonight. However, he is hitting only .212 this season with a mere five homers in 44 games.

Konerko went 2-for-10 (.200) when the White Sox played the Indians last week, but he is a career .343 hitter (12-for-35) against Paul Byrd, who starts for Cleveland tonight.

Javier Vazquez will try to defeat Cleveland for a second straight time when he starts tonight. The right-hander improved to 5-3 with a 3.43 earned run average on the season after holding the Indians to a pair of runs on four hits over seven innings on Wednesday.

The righty lost to the Indians back on April 2 in Cleveland, and is 6-4 with a 3.94 ERA in 13 career starts against them. Grady Sizemore has a pair of hits -- including a triple -- with two RBI off of Vazquez this season.

Byrd was on the losing end of that decision on Wednesday against the White Sox and will try to rebound tonight. In that game Byrd allowed five runs on five hits, including over a three-run homer to Jermaine Dye, in 5 1/3 innings. Byrd did hold Quentin hitless in three at-bats, though.

The right-hander fell to 2-4 with a 4.10 ERA this season and 8-3 with a 4.45 ERA in 14 career starts against the White Sox. He had won his last five decisions against Chicago prior to last week's outing, when he lost to the Sox for the first time since 2002.

Cleveland, which trails Chicago by 4 1/2 games in the race for the AL Central lead, has lost eight of its last nine. The Indians halted a seven-game losing streak on Saturday, but fell back into the loss column Sunday against Texas.

The game was even at 1-1 in the 10th frame, but Ben Francisco's fielding error in the inning allowed the Rangers to plate the go-ahead run. Francisco failed to haul in a liner to right, and the ball skipped through his legs.

The loss ruined a good start by C.C. Sabathia, who has appeared to turn things around after struggling to start this season. Sabathia allowed only five hits and a run with five strikeouts and two walks over seven frames.

Victor Martinez's RBI single in the first inning was the only offense for the Indians, who left 11 runners on base.

After dropping its first two tests this year against the Indians, the White Sox have won four straight against them, including a three-game sweep at home last week.

Cleveland won 11 of 18 in the season series last year.