(Sports Network) - Josh Beckett takes his shot at becoming the first 16-game winner in the majors this season when the Boston standout leads the Red Sox into U.S. Cellular Field tonight for the opener of a four-game series with the Chicago White Sox.

Beckett is one of one four pitchers, along with teammate Tim Wakefield, the Angels' John Lackey and Atlanta's Tim Hudson, currently at the 15-win mark. Lackey had a chance to become the first to 16 victories, but he was defeated by the New York Yankees last night.

Beckett pitched well enough to get another win last Friday, as he held the Angels to two runs -- one earned -- and struck out eight before exiting after seven innings with Boston trailing, 2-1. He wound up with a no decision in an eventual 7-5 Red Sox loss.

The All-Star right-hander had won his two previous starts, both of which came on the road, and brings a spectacular 8-1 record with a 1.65 earned run average over nine away outings into tonight's matchup.

Beckett is 2-0 with a 4.60 ERA in three career starts versus the White Sox and defeated Chicago in Fenway Park back on July 20. In that game, the 27-year-old allowed three runs over six innings and racked up 10 strikeouts.

Boston comes in with a five-game lead on the second-place Yankees in the American League East and started a 10-game road trip by winning two of three encounters with Tampa Bay. The Devil Rays avoided a sweep, however, with a 2-1 decision on Wednesday.

B.J. Upton accounted for the winning margin with a two-run homer off Daisuke Matsuzaka in the sixth inning. Boston had its chances on the evening, but stranded 14 baserunners for the game.

Matsuzaka (13-10) allowed the two runs on only two hits and struck out eight before leaving after six innings.

The Red Sox also lost a pair of players during the game. Second baseman Dustin Pedroia suffered a bruised left elbow after being hit by a pitch in the third inning, while outfielder Eric Hinske left in the fourth with a muscle cramp in his right calf.

Pedroia is questionable to start tonight's contest, while Hinske is unlikely to play this evening.

Chicago has lost nine of its last 11 games, but did take two in a row at home from division-rival Kansas City before the Royals held on for a 7-6 win in Wednesday's finale.

The White Sox trailed 7-2 heading into its final two at-bats, but Paul Konerko belted a solo homer in the eighth inning and Josh Fields clubbed a three-run shot in the bottom of the ninth to pull Chicago within a run.

Jim Thome followed with a two-out single, but Royals closer Joakim Soria struck out Konerko to preserve the win.

Chicago starter Jose Contreras suffered his major league-leading 16th loss of the season after he surrendered four runs through six innings of work.

The White Sox will send out John Danks, who will be attempting to halt a string of four straight losing starts, in tonight's opener. The rookie has lost five consecutive decisions since his last victory, a July 16 triumph at Cleveland.

Danks' losing spell began at Fenway Park on July 21, when he surrendered four runs over six innings in his first career start against Boston. The young lefty lasted only five frames in his latest setback, a 7-5 defeat at Seattle on Saturday in which he gave up four runs and nine hits.

Boston won three of four meetings with Chicago at Fenway Park last month and is 15-8 in the overall series since 2004. The Red Sox have taken seven of 10 meetings in Chicago over that span.