"A frustrated Adam Dunn accepts the probably that he won't have a chance to salvage his season in the final 4½ weeks.

"I'm a realist," Dunn said Sunday before Dayan Viciedo hit a three-run home run in his first game with the Sox this season. "I'm not like an idiot. We're right in the middle of things. What do you do? What do you say?"

With a .163 batting average, 156 strikeouts and an .037 batting average (3-for-81) against left-handed pitchers, manager Ozzie Guillen had little choice but to talk Sunday with Dunn about a possible reduced role.

"Every time he has an at-bat, my heart stops," Guillen said, "because I want him to produce for him and for us, and feel better (that) he can help sometime. I think he feels horrible because he can't help the club.""