Lester struggles, Dunn sizzles as Chicago beats Boston in Battle of Sox

What kind of craziness is going on with the Boston Red Sox now?

A 1-4 John Lackey throws a one hit gem against the Twins on Sunday night, only to have staff ace Jon Lester get mauled like a kitten in a roomful of toddlers on Monday night by a Chicago White Sox team that has certainly seen better starts to seasons' past - losing to the White Sox 6-4 on the opening night of a three game series at U.S. Cellular Field on the south side.

Adam Dunn admires his 1st inning park job

Slugger Adam Dunn greeted Lester less than hospitably, the pale hose designated hitter blasting his 11th park job of the young season in the first inning despite sporting a batting average that would make Mario Mendoza cringe - but his .179 average is actually almost 40 points higher that it was just a week ago...

...and his 11 round-trippers in the young season to go with his 54 strike outs telling one all they need to know about Dunn's all-or-nothing approach at the plate, though he makes no apologies for his one dimensional offense.

"It was hard to sit here and keep saying over and over and over how good I felt, with no results," Dunn said. "Hopefully these results keep coming and people start believing me that I wasn't lying to them."

How bad had it been to start the season for Dunn?  Last week at this time he was batting an anorexic .140, with only six homers to show for his singular skill...then he went off, hitting five blasts in the past seven games, last night's bomb to right showing how his one dimension can be a game changer.

"Chicago, for some reason, I don't feel like I've ever pitched well here for whatever reason," Lester said. "It is what it is, and it always goes back down to executing pitches at the right time, and I didn't execute the pitch (to Dunn) in the first inning. That changed the whole momentum of the game."

The blast came with two men on as Lester struggled getting out of innings, all of Chicago's runs coming with two outs in the first, second and fifth while White Sox hurler Dylan Axelrod allowed the Red Sox to string together production from consecutive at bats just once, Will Middlebrooks' walk followed by Jarrod Saltalamccia's home run in the top of the third.

Middlebrooks had a bases clearing double in the seventh against reliever Matt Thronton, then nearly came away the hero once again on this extended road trip, sending centerfielder Alejandro De Aza to the wall to snare a deep drive with one out and one on in the top of the ninth that could have conceivably tied the score...

...but De Aza made the catch and the Stephen Drew got robbed by Paul Konerko on a grounder to end the game.  Red Sox fans can take solace in the fact that the players never gave up and battled to the last at bat, the sign of good things to come.

Another sign of good things to come is Clay Buchholz and his undefeated record taking the hill in the last game of the series, with Felix Doubront going tonight - the bad news being Jacoby Ellsbury coming into the contest mired in a horrific funk - collecting three rare base hits in 24 appearances on this road trip - and the apparently fragile Shane Victorino on the skids once again, this time with a tight hammy...

...but while Victorino is listed as day-to-day (again),  Ellsbury's robust .325 batting average at U.S. Cellular park is a consideration in keeping him at lead off and the rest of the Red Sox are in mid-season form and have won five of seven on the roadie thus far even without Ellsbury setting the table - so if Ellsbury can find his stroke, there will be nothing but optimism going forward.