CHICAGO (AP) — The Boston Red Sox are headed home after a successful road trip, and manager Bobby Valentine feels the team is headed in the right direction after rocky start.

Josh Beckett pitched into the seventh inning after a rough start, but the Red Sox lost 4-1 to Gavin Floyd and the Chicago White Sox on Sunday.

Boston still managed to put together a 6-1 trip, averaging more than six runs despite scoring twice in the final two games in Chicago. It was a welcome result for a team was 4-10 a week ago and had just given up 15 unanswered runs during an embarrassing 15-9 loss to the New York Yankees.

The Red Sox open a threegame series against Oakland tonight at Fenway Park.

“This week it seemed like things were coming together nicely, mainly because of starting pitching,” Valentine said. “The bullpen fell in nicely.”

“We’re all getting to know each other, feeling comfortable with things. Still a work in progress.”

Floyd (2-3) struck out nine in 6.2 innings, yielding one run and three hits. He improved to 7-0 with a 3.21 ERA in nine career appearances against Boston, helping the White Sox stop a fivegame losing streak.

Dustin Pedroia singled with one out in the seventh for Boston’s first hit of the game. Cody Ross had an RBI single for the Red Sox, who had won six straight.

Dunn helped the White Sox get off to a fast start, belting a two-run shot to right in the first for his first homer at U.S. Cellular Field since Aug. 4 against the Yankees. Dunn’s fifth homer of the season drove in Alex Rios, who put Chicago in front with an RBI single.

Beckett (2-3) settled down after the rough opening inning, shutting down Chicago until he left with two out in the seventh. He struck out eight and allowed six hits while matching a career high with 126 pitches.

“The two-run homer was the difference between that and the rest of the game,” Beckett said. “That’s a pretty tough hole to put your team in, especially against a guy who has pitched well against us in the past.”

Boston finally got on the board in the seventh. Pedroia’s liner got past second baseman Eduardo Escobar’s diving attempt. He moved up on David Ortiz’s two-out double and scored on Ross’ hit.

Addison Reed then came in and got Punto to ground out, stranding Ortiz at third. Reed also got the first two outs of the eighth before Matt Thornton finished for his first save of the season.

Notes — Red Sox left-handed pitcher Rich Hill made his first appearance of the season, allowing one run and one hit with two walks in two-thirds of an inning. “He looked OK, just a little nervous. Couldn’t quite get that breaking ball over like he’d like to,” Valentine said. … Red Sox slugger Kevin Youkilis was a late scratch due to tightness in his lower left back.