(Sports Network) - Clayton Richard makes his major league debut this afternoon when the Chicago White Sox play the rubber match of their three-game series with the Texas Rangers at U.S. Cellular Field.

Richard, who started the All-Star Futures Game at Yankee Stadium on July 13, was 12-6 with a 2.44 earned run average in the minors this season, winning all six of his starts for Triple-A Charlotte.

The 24-year-old left-hander now has the unenviable task of slowing down the best offensive team in the league.

Texas leads the majors with 549 runs scored, but has crossed the plate two times or less in four of its last five games.

That proved to be the case on Tuesday, as Mark Buehrle pitched 7 1/3 solid frames in Chicago's 10-2 win. Nick Swisher hit a three-run homer and Alexei Ramirez clubbed a game-breaking grand slam in the seventh for the White Sox, who snapped a three-game losing streak and increased their lead in the AL Central to 1 1/2 games over the Minnesota Twins.

The Twins lost to the Yankees on Tuesday.

Buehrle (8-8), in his first start against the Rangers since no-hitting them last season, scattered six hits without a walk and three strikeouts in winning for the sixth time in his last eight decisions.

Luis Mendoza (2-4) struggled on the hill for Texas, giving up six runs on nine hits with four strikeouts and two walks in four-plus frames. Chris Davis hit a solo home run and Marlon Byrd drove home the other Texas run.

Heading to the hill for the Rangers today will be veteran righty Kevin Millwood, who has lost his last two starts. Millwood fell to 6-6 on Friday in Minnesota, as he allowed five runs and 11 hits in 6 1/3 innings, raising his ERA to 5.23 on the season.

Millwood lost to the Sox back on July 12 and is 1-4 lifetime against them with a 2.81 ERA in eight starts.

Texas took two of three from the White Sox earlier in the season and is 7-4 against them since the start of last season.