Red Sox 4, White Sox 3: Ryan Dempster returned with 6 1/3 solid innings and David Ortiz drove in a pair as Boston took the series opener from visiting Chicago.
Dempster (7-9), who had not pitched since Aug. 18 after serving a five-game suspension for intentionally throwing at New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez and then being skipped in the rotation, allowed three runs on five hits and three walks to pick up his first win since July 27.

Shane Victorino drove in a run and scored twice and Mike Napoli added an RBI for the Red Sox, who have won five of their last six and lead the Tampa Bay Rays by 3 1/2 games in the American League East.

Boston loaded the bases against Hector Santiago (4-8) on a single, a walk and a hit by pitch in the third before Napoli worked a walk to force in the opening score. Victorino made it 2-0 with an RBI single in the fourth and Ortiz followed Dustin Pedroia’s double by breaking out of an 0-for-23 slump with a two-run single through the shift and into right-center.

The White Sox got a run back in the fifth and Avisail Garcia led off the seventh with a solo homer off Dempster. Alejandro De Aza added an RBI triple but a pair of relievers bridged the gap to Koji Uehara, who recorded the final four outs for his 15th save.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Red Sox RH Clay Buchholz (shoulder/neck) made his second rehab start and allowed one run on seven hits in 3 2/3 innings without walking a batter for Triple-A Pawtucket. The All-Star is scheduled to make one more rehab start before rejoining the team. … Dayan Viciedo drove in a run among two hits and scored once for Chicago, which lost for the third time in 13 games. … Santiago was charged with four runs on five hits and five walks in 3 2/3 innings.