Koehler goes six, Marlins survive 5-4 versus White Sox

The Marlins picked up a big win versus the White Sox on Sunday to keep pace with the Cardinals in the wild card race. After a rough week losing four of five games, Miami was able to hit themselves to a win against Chicago ace Chris Sale.

Tom Koehler (9-8) got the start for Miami and had a rough first inning allowing two runs and three hits. He allowed a solo home run on the first pitch of the game to Adam Eaton, and then a Jose Abreu RBI-single scoring Melky Cabrera to put the Marlins in a 2-0 hole.

Koehler would settle down in the second and allow just three hits the rest of the game. He received a no decision, but pitched six innings, striking out five and allowed three runs.

The Marlins bats struggled to manufacture anything into the fifth inning, when Robert Andino hit a single to spark the offense. Jeff Mathis and Adeiny Hechavarria hit consecutive singles to load the bases for Koehler, who crushed a single off of Sale's foot, scoring Andino and Mathis to tie the game 2-2. Ichiro Suzuki was thrown out at first on the very next pitch, but no White Sox players covered home on the sacrifice bunt, which enabled Hechavarria to round third and score from second giving Miami a 3-2 lead.

Chicago would answer in the top of the sixth after Abreu hit a ground ball down the third baseline. The ball ricocheted off of the base and rolled into foul territory giving Saladino, who singled to lead off the inning, ample time to go home from second. The game would stay tied at three heading into the seventh.

Hechavarria hit an infield single that was challenged, but not overturned, to lead off the bottom of the seventh for Miami. After advancing to second on a sacrifice bunt by Rojas, Hecharvarria scored on an RBI-single by Martin Prado putting the Marlins back on top 4-3. Ichiro, who was hit-by-pitch, would later score as well on a Marcell Ozuna RBI-single that Abreu failed to dig out of the dirt.

Miami led 5-3 heading into the eighth where Kyle Barraclough dominated, and sat down the side on just 10 pitches.

Fernando Rodney would come into the game to close things out for Miami, but allowed a solo home run to lead off the ninth. The White Sox would threaten after two more singles put runners on first and second with two outs for Saladino. He roped a Rodney fastball to left field, as Navarez was waived home from second for the game's tying run, but Christian Yelich threw a dime back home and Mathis tagged Naravez out at the plate securing the win for Miami.

The Marlins begin a seven game road trip this week, as they travel to Cincinnati and Pittsburgh. David Phelps will get the start Monday night against the Reds.

WPA Graph:

Source: FanGraphs

Hero of the Game: Martin Prado (+.152)

Goat of the Game: Chris Sale (-.324)

Play of the Game: Martin Prado's RBI-single in the seventh (+.211)