Ortiz, Red Sox cool off Chicago White Sox

David Oritz is in the final year of his standout career, and Carlos Rodon is in his first full season.

The established veteran got the best of the young gun Wednesday night at U.S. Cellular Field, and that was the big difference in the Red Sox's 5-2 victory over the Chicago White Sox.

After Jose Abreu gave the White Sox the early lead with a 2-run homer off Boston starter Clay Buchholz in the first inning, the Red Sox made it a 2-1 game in the third on Xander Bogaerts' RBI single.

In the fifth inning, Oritz put Boston in front for good with a 2-run homer off Rodon. It was career home run No. 509 for the 40-year-old Ortiz, tying him with Gary Sheffield for 25th place on the all-time list.

Rodon, who was moved up a day in the rotation after John Danks was designated for assignment, pitched 6 innings and allowed 3 runs on 6 hits and 3 walks.

The White Sox (19-9) still have the best record in the American League, but right fielder Adam Eaton said it's too early to get overly excited.

"June, July, August, September is when this team is going to be made," Eaton said. "Anybody can do it for a month. Really good teams have had one good month, talked playoffs and aren't there at the end. We're going to continue to grind, play competitive baseball, not get too high and not get too low.

"We want to lean on our good pitching, play good defense and scratch and claw for runs."

Day to day:

Designated hitter Avisail Garcia said his right hamstring is feeling better but not quite good enough to play.

"Why push it and be out for the rest of the season?" he said.

Garcia has missed four games with the injury but has not yet been put on the disabled list.

"He still has something there, so you're a little nervous using him for a game and having him try to beat something out and sprint," manager Robin Ventura said.

Grip and rip:

Much has been made of Adam Eaton's stellar defense as the Sox's new right fielder this season.

In April, Eaton led the majors with 13 defensive runs saved while showing off a powerful throwing arm that helped start a 9-3-2-6-2-5 triple play against the Texas Rangers on April 22.

Imagine how well Eaton is going to be throwing when his left shoulder is 100 percent.

"It's still getting back," said Eaton, who had shoulder surgery at the end of the 2015 season. "The lack of arm strength in the last year or so is coming back.

"It still has room to improve, and I think it will. I still don't have any muscle back there, it's supposed to come back 12-16 months. What's it been, like six months, so maybe by the end we'll have a little bit."

One hundred percent or not, Eaton has thrived since switching to right field after Austin Jackson took over in center.

"He's more comfortable over there and I think talent-wise, he's always been fast, he's got a great arm, and I just think instinctively he's better in right field," manager Robin Ventura said. "He gets better jumps, his angles to the ball are better and all that has kind of led to where he is now. The confidence is also getting higher because it's better."