Red Sox gain Price, lose Pedroia in loss to White Sox

(TSX / STATS) -- CHICAGO -- On a day when the Boston Red Sox welcomed back one of their top starting pitchers from injury, they might have lost their star second baseman for an extended period of time.

Dustin Pedroia will return to Boston for further examination after he injured his left wrist Monday afternoon in a 5-4 loss to the Chicago White Sox. The team announced Pedroia's injury as a left wrist sprain, but an MRI exam could show more.

"Any time you're dealing with a position player's wrist, a hitter's wrist, that's always cause for concern," Red Sox manager John Farrell said. "We've got to get a full battery of tests tomorrow."

Pedroia has a history with wrist injuries, as he underwent season-ending surgery on his left wrist during the 2014 season.

His injury was not the only reason for disappointment in the Red Sox locker room, however. Boston (27-23) squandered a pair of leads and dropped its second consecutive game after winning the previous six.

In his season debut, Red Sox left-hander David Price surrendered three runs in five innings. He returned from the disabled list to allow two hits, two walks and two hit batsmen. He struck out four.

"It's definitely a step in the right direction," said Price, who threw 88 pitches. "I felt good. I just need to command the baseball a little bit better with my fastball, and I think things will take off for me."

Melky Cabrera went 2-for-4 with a home run, a go-ahead single and four RBIs to lead the White Sox at the plate. Chicago (24-26) notched its fourth win in the past five games.

White Sox right-hander David Robertson finished the game with a perfect ninth inning. He pumped his fist and screamed after striking out pinch-hitter Sandy Leon to rack up his eighth save.

"It's a lot of fun when you get a big crowd in here," Robertson said. "It was a big game, playing a big rival. When the crowd is behind you, I feel like special things happen for us."

Mookie Betts finished 2-for-4 with a double and a home run in a losing effort for the Red Sox. Josh Rutledge and Christian Vazquez tallied Boston's only other hits.

Pedroia's injury overshadowed a sleepy day of offense for the Red Sox. He was injured in the first inning when he collided with White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu while trying to beat out an infield hit.

Abreu fielded Pedroia's ground ball and looked to flip the ball to left-hander David Holmberg. But Holmberg seemed a step slow off the mound, so Abreu kept the ball and raced for the bag. He slid feet-first ahead of Pedroia, who had nowhere to go and tumbled over the top of the burly first baseman.

Pedroia hurt his wrist as he tried to break his fall.

"A real freakish play there at first base," Farrell said. "There is some swelling in there. He's tender."

White Sox right-hander Juan Minaya (1-0) pitched a scoreless inning of relief with three strikeouts to earn the victory.

Right-hander Matt Barnes (3-2) drew the loss for the Red Sox after allowing Cabrera's go-ahead single in the seventh.

In the first inning, Betts doubled and scored to give Boston a 1-0 advantage. Abreu sprinted back to catch Xander Bogaerts' pop fly just across the foul line in shallow right field, but Betts tagged from third base and scored ahead of Abreu's throw home.

Chicago grabbed a 3-1 lead on a three-run shot by Cabrera in the third. Price left a pitch over the plate, and Cabrera belted it into the left-field bleachers for his sixth home run.

Boston scored two in the fourth to even the score. Christian Vazquez and Jackie Bradley Jr. each drove in a run.

Betts struck again to start the fifth. He tucked his home run over the left-field wall to give the Red Sox a 4-3 lead.

The White Sox rallied in the seventh to regain a 5-4 edge. Yolmer Sanchez tripled down the right-field line and scored on Kevan Smith's double. Smith scored the go-ahead run on Cabrera's bloop hit past the infield.

"Things are going well for us right now," Cabrera said.

NOTES: Boston 2B Dustin Pedroia was not available for comment after spraining his left wrist in the first inning Monday. He remained in the game for one inning of defense before he was replaced by 2B Josh Rutledge. ... The White Sox honored Boston LHP Chris Sale with a video tribute before the bottom of the first. The video showed highlights from Sale's seven-year tenure with Chicago and ended with the message, "Thank you, Chris." Sale tipped his cap to fans. ... Boston optioned RHP Brandon Workman to Triple-A Pawtucket to clear a roster spot for starting pitcher LHP David Price. ... White Sox 1B Jose Abreu's 10-game hitting streak ended as he went 0-for-4.