Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek is unable to get a handle on the ball as the White Sox’ Paul Konerko slides safely into home during the fifth inning yesterday.

AP / Nam Y. Huh

CHICAGO — Even before yesterday’s sloppy 6-5 loss to the Chicago White Sox, the news was bad for the Red Sox.

Tim Wakefield was sent to Boston with shoulder stiffness and will be placed on the disabled list. Wakefield was set to be examined by Red Sox medical director Tom Gill and received a cortisone shot.

The Red Sox haven’t named a replacement for Wakefield, but are said to be leaning toward another knuckleballer, Charlie Zink. Devern Hansack is another option.

Wakefield pitched eight strong innings Wednesday night in Kansas City, but apparently felt some stiffness in the back of his right shoulder as the game progressed.

When he went to throw his usual side session Saturday, the stiffness returned, so the Sox shut him down and sent him home.

“It was hard for him to get loose (in the late innings),” said manager Terry Francona of Wakefield’s session Saturday. “Then he went out for the side, he had a rough time. We’re trying not to have this thing get to the point where it did last year.”

Wakefield battled similar shoulder issues at the end of last year and was taken off the roster for the World Series because of the problem.

Francona said Wakefield had been on a shoulder-strengthening program and that tests revealed no weakness.

“His strength is good,” said Francona. “Missing two starts is not what we’re shooting for. But being out there at half-speed for his last 10 starts is not what we’re shooting for either.”

Youkilis takes a seat

First baseman Kevin Youkilis was a late scratch from yesterday’s lineup with a sore left shoulder.

According to Francona, Youkilis is suffering from a “shoulder impingement,” the result of some weightlifting “three or four days ago.”

Youkilis is expected to return to the lineup tonight in the series — and road trip — finale. He got treatment in the early part of the game and was available in the later innings, according to Francona.

With Youkilis sidelined, Sean Casey stepped in at first, but Francona had to reshuffle the batting order.

He put Jacoby Ellsbury in the leadoff spot — J.D. Drew had been there originally — and dropped Drew to fourth, where Ellsbury had been.

Pedroia ties Speaker

Dustin Pedroia kept his road hitting streak going with a first-inning double. That extended his streak to 29 games, tying Tris Speaker for the longest road hitting streak by a Red Sox player over the last 95 years.

According to unearthed research, Speaker also had a 32-game streak in 1912.

Pedroia’s run has been topped just five times since 1956. Derek Jeter had a 44-game streak that begin in 2006 and carried over to 2007

Pedroia has now hit in 10 straight overall and 37 of the last 40.

Masterson masters Chicago

A bright spot for the Sox yesterday was the relief work turned in by Justin Masterson.

Masterson pitched 2 2/3 innings yesterday, allowing just one hit while striking out five and walking none. At one point, over the span of five hitters, he struck out four.

“My goal,” said Masterson, “was to keep the game within range and that’s what I did. I’ve been able to start feeling more comfortable (in relief) and getting better command of my pitches.”

As for the five strikeouts, Masterson offered: “They were up there swinging and getting ahead in the count always helps.”

Circling the bases

Yesterday’s loss was Boston’s 16th consecutive one-run defeat on the road. … Mike Lowell’s three-run homer in the first inning was his first in more than a month; his last home run came on July 4 against the Yankees. That spanned 108 at-bats. Lowell committed two errors — bobbling a grounder by Juan Uribe in the fourth then bouncing a throw to the plate in attempt to nab Paul Konerko in the fifth. It marked the first time that Lowell had made two errors in a game since April 28, 2007. … The four double plays turned by the Sox on Saturday night was the most since they recorded four on July 3, 2006, at Tampa Bay. … Hideki Okajima pitched a perfect eighth inning and has been scored upon just once in his last 13 games, covering 1 1/3 innings.

smcadam@projo.com