Shane Victorino

CHICAGO – After the Red Sox’ 6-4 loss, Shane Victorino was trying to come to grips with both a tight left hamstring, and the frustration that went with it.

Victorino surmised the hamstring injury that forced him from the game in the sixth inning wouldn’t be anything too serious. But the notion that it might not be a long-term issue did nothing to temper the uneasiness of dealing with yet another injury.

“It seems like if isn’t one thing, it’s another right now,” said Victorino, who had just returned from a sore back Sunday after missing two games. “They all say it’s all connected. That’s what’s frustrating for me. What is it? I just want to get back to being healthy and being out there and being a healthy player and feeling good. I don’t think this is anything serious, nor do the trainers. We’ll see how it feels tomorrow.”

Victorino said he has had no issues with his left hamstring, although he did go on the disabled list in 2011 with right hamstring problem. He said the two aren’t comparable.

The right fielder didn’t feel any discomfort in the hamstring this time until running out an inning-ending fly ball off the bat of Dustin Pedroia. He had reached base by legging out an infield single.

“Going first to third on Pedroia’s deep fly ball, I just felt like my leg was, I felt something grab,” he said. “I tried to keep running, and it felt like my leg didn’t have the strength that it needed to have. I was trying to pull my leg up, and I felt a little something grab. I was a little worried, but after talking with the trainers and having them look at it, it’s to be determined right now. Obviously you can tell the frustration. I just want answers. I don’t know if it’s all connected. Again, just another bump in the road.”

Victorino actually took his place in right field for the home half of the sixth before Red Sox manager John Farrell and trainer Rick Jameyson jogged out to the position to remove the outfielder, moving Daniel Nava over to right field, while putting Jonny Gomes in left.

“Given what he’s been dealing with, low back,” Farrell said, “I wasn’t going to take any chances in that situation.”

“If I had to guess right now, I don’t really think this will be a really serious matter,” Victorino said. “But I don’t want to make it worse and miss a lot of time for no reason.”

Jon Lester had one of his roughest outings of the season Monday night. (AP)

CHICAGO — As well as things had been going for the Red Sox, they sure went the other way in a hurry Monday night at U.S. Cellular Field.

Adam Dunn put the Red Sox and their starter, Jon Lester, in a first-inning hole via a three-run hole, and the White Sox never looked back. Chicago went on to claim the series opener, 6-4, snapping the Sox’ five-game win streak.

Lester not only gave up the three runs in the first, but came back and allowed two more in the second. The lefty finished his six-inning outing giving up six runs (5 earned) on seven hits, striking out a pair and walking three. The outing boosted Lester’s ERA from 2.72 to 3.15, while handing him his first loss of the season.

Offensively, the best the Red Sox could do  against White Sox starter Dylan Axelrod was a two-run, opposite field home run from Jarrod Saltalamacchia in the third inning. Axelrod had also pitched well in his only other start against the Red Sox, allowing one run over 6 2/3 innings on July 16 of last season.

The White Sox came into the game having won the opening game of a series just three times in 14 chances. The Red Sox, meanwhile, came in tied with the Cardinals for best road record (14-7), having won six of their seven series away from Fenway Park.

Also not helping matters for the Red Sox was the fact Shane Victorino was forced from the game with left hamstring tightness. The right fielder was taken out during warm-ups leading into the home half of the sixth inning, having just legged out an infield single earlier in the frame.

Here is what went wrong (and right) for the Red Sox in their 18th loss of the season (27-18):

WHAT WENT WRONG

- Dunn’s home run was just the designated hitter’s third hit of the season against a left-handed pitcher, two of which have been home runs.

- The White Sox managed their two runs in the second all with two outs. After retiring Jeff Keppinger and Tyler Flowers on ground outs, Lester surrendered three consecutive doubles, from Tyler Greene, Alejandro De Aza and Alexei Ramirez.

- Will Middlebrooks’ seventh error of the season, coming on a Ramirez grounder to lead off the fifth inning, ultimately led to the White Sox’ sixth run. Ramirez would steal second and eventually come in on Dayan Viciedo’s single. The seven errors tie Middlebrooks with Kansas City’s Mike Moustakas for most in the American League by a third baseman.

- Jacoby Ellsbury had another tough night, grounding out to second four times.

WHAT WENT RIGHT

- Middlebrooks helped the Red Sox draw within a pair of runs when he lined a double off the top of the left field wall, just out of the reach of Viciedo. With the ball bouncing back toward the infield after the misguided attempt, both David Ortiz and Mike Napoli (both of whom had walked), came home. Of the third baseman’s 35 hits, 20 have now gone for extra-bases. Middlebrooks almost tied the game in the ninth, as well, hitting a ball to the wall in center, just shy of what would have been a two-run blast.

- Saltalamacchia continued his solid stretch of late, with the catcher not only hitting the third-inning home run, but also singling. He came close to tying the game in the seventh, sending White Sox center fielder Alejandro De Aza to the warning track, just shy for what would have been another two-run blast. Saltalamacchia came into the game hitting .355 over his previous 10 games.

David Ross

CHICAGO – Red Sox catcher David Ross, who suffered a concussion after being hit by two foul balls in the mask May 11, has resumed some baseball activities after being re-examined.

“He was cleared by the impact testing, symptoms have resolved,” said Red Sox manager John Farrell. “He threw today. He rode a bike for 30 minutes, no repeat of symptoms. We’ll look to repeat the intensity of the work tomorrow so he’s turning the corner.

“So baseball activities will start to come into play a little bit more. By the end of this road trip, what we’ve got to figure out is it better off for him to go get a game or two (in the minors) just to see some game-speed. He’s moving in the right direction.”

Ross has been on the seven-day concussion disabled list after experiencing the injury

Ryan Lavarnway has been playing in place of Ross, having caught two times (with the Red Sox going 1-1 in those starts).

“[Ross] is throwing and hitting off the tee,” Farrell said. “It’s been initiated. It’s just not full speed yet.”

The Rangers designated former Red Sox pitcher Derek Lowe for assignment on Monday. Lowe, who has gone 1-0 with an 9.00 ERA this season for Texas, was sent out to make room for Josh Lindblom, who will start Monday’s game against the A’s. The 39-year-old Lowe, who was a part of the Red Sox title team in 2004, went 70-55 with a 3.72 ERA and 85 saves in eight seasons with Boston.