Chicago White Sox: Opening at Home and in Contention with the Detroit Tigers

The Chicago White Sox get their home schedule underway on Friday afternoon when the Detroit Tigers invade U.S. Cellular Field. A team's home opener is always worth celebrating. As a bonus on the South Side, the team is right behind Detroit in the American League Central Division.

How long the White Sox will remain contenders in the early stages of the season is an unknown. For now, however, first place is on the line, with Chicago just 1.5 games back.

Amidst the pageantry of the home opener is Jake Peavy going to the bump to oppose Max Scherzer, who was roughed up early in his 2012 debut but has thrown well against the White Sox. Gavin Floyd faces off with Adam Wilk on Saturday afternoon, while Chris Sale goes against Rick Porcello on Sunday.

Chicago misses Justin Verlander this trip, but it still has to contend with a talented Tigers squad that owned the White Sox last year. Detroit won 13 of the 18 meetings between the two teams in 2011.

The team must have had an eye on the chancy weather of the Midwest when planning their opening weekend. Three games under the sun. Fans who have endured freezing April evenings have to like that.

If the White Sox want to make any noise in the division race this season, winning this series would serve as a start. Not much is expected of this year's club by most outsiders, and it's way too early to make much of Chicago's 3-2 start.

So far, Brent Morel hasn't channeled the offensive juggernaut that hit all those September home runs. Alex Rios is still battling to reach the Mendoza line. Adam Dunn is not looking like a lost sheep in his at-bats, but he is still hitting just .222 in five games.

On the other hand, Paul Konerko opened the season with a hot bat, which is always a plus for a notoriously slow starter. The bullpen has been solid, and the White Sox come into the series having won two straight in Cleveland.

For all we know, this weekend may not seem so warm and fuzzy come Sunday night. A Tigers sweep would quickly take the shine off of the new season. However, this is our first chance to see the White Sox in town in 2012. Maybe that's worth a couple of wins along the Dan Ryan Expressway.