White Sox 6, Red Sox 4: Adam Dunn hit a three-run homer and Dylan Axelrod worked six strong innings as Chicago took the opener from visiting Boston.

Alejandro De Aza and Alexei Ramirez each doubled in a run and Dayan Viciedo added an RBI single for the White Sox, who emerged from a modest two-game slide. Axelrod (2-3) allowed two runs and four hits to pick up his second straight win.

Jon Lester (6-1) suffered the brunt of the damage, serving up six runs (five earned) on seven hits to absorb his first loss. Jarrod Saltalamacchia homered as the Red Sox had a five-game winning streak come to an end.

Chicago wasted little time jumping on Lester in the first inning, when two of the first four reached and Dunn followed by pulling a 2-0 fastball into the stands in right. Back-to-back RBI doubles from De Aza and Ramirez in the second widened the gap to 5-0.

Boston got two back in the third on Saltalamacchia’s towering drive to left but could not get anything else going against Axelrod. Will Middlebrooks drove in a pair off left-hander Matt Thornton to cut it to 6-4 in the seventh but Jesse Crain pitched a perfect eighth and Addison Reed worked around a leadoff single in the ninth to earn his 15th save.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Dunn has hit five of his 11 homers and driven in 13 of his 25 runs in the last seven games. … The Red Sox activated RHP Andrew Bailey (biceps) from the 15-day DL and optioned RHP Jose De La Torre to Triple-A Pawtucket. … Boston C David Ross (concussion) passed testing Monday and was cleared to resume activities. He could be activated later in the week.