MIAMI _ After posting winning records in each of the first four months of a season for the first time in their history, the Miami Marlins have hit their first serious skid in August.
Having lost four of five on the homestand, and beginning Sunday with Giancarlo Stanton and Adam Conley going on the disabled list, the Marlins were in dire need of a spark.
They got several, beginning with Miami native Robert Andino, who flew all night from Las Vegas after being summoned to the major leagues for the first time since 2013. And from Tom Koehler, who proved a worthy stand-in for Jose Fernandez in what was to have been a duel of All-Stars with Chicago's Chris Sale.
Martin Prado's run-scoring single in the seventh off Sale put the Marlins ahead to stay in a 5-4 victory to avert a sweep against the White Sox. That drove in Adeiny Hechavarria, who reached on an infield hit that stood up to a replay challenge by Chicago.
It took an additional run-scoring single by Marcell Ozuna off former Marlin Jacob Turner to provide the winning margin as Tim Anderson hit a solo homer off Fernandeo Rodney in the ninth.
Finally, a perfect throw home from Christian Yelich was needed to secure the final out as Omar Narvaez attempted to score the would-be tying run on a single by Tyler Saladino.
Andino's first hit since May 21, 2013 sparked a three-run fifth inning when the Marlins rallied from a two-run deficit.
The Marlins improve to 4-8 in August while keeping Sale (14-6) winless in six starts since July 2.
Koehler dueled Sale to a standoff for six innings, allowing three runs on six hits, and also contribute at bat.
After giving up two runs in the first inning, Koehler got them back when he hit a two-run single off Sale's right foot in the fifth.
That was the fourth consecutive hit to open the inning. Ichiro Suzuki, starting in place of Stanton, put the Marlins ahead with a well-placed sacrifice bunt.
Catcher Narvaez came out so far to field it, and with nobody covering the plate Hechavarria was able to scamper home from second base for a 3-2 Miami lead.
The lead didn't last as the White Sox pulled even in the sixth when Jose Abreu's bouncer along the third-base line hit the corner of the bag and bounced away from Prado for a run-scoring double.
Koehler, who gave up a homer to Adam Eaton on his first pitch of the game, had retired 13 of 14 hitters before Saladino led off the sixth with a single. He left with the score 3-3 after striking out Anderson to end the sixth with runners on the corners.
Fernandez, whose turn in the rotation was skipped as part of a plan to limit his innings, will make his next start Thursday in Cincinnati.
The two runs Koehler allowed in the first matched the total he had allowed in 27 innings over his previous four starts. Koehler's 0.67 ERA since July 21 was the best among starters in the major leagues.
Sale gave up five runs in 6 2/3 innings.
Lack of run support has been a factor in Sale's recent victory drought. The pair of runs in the first inning were more than he received in two of his previous three starts.
Although 0-2 in four outings since starting the All-Star Game, Sale had a 2.17 ERA in that span prior to Sunday.
The Marlins hit some balls hard in the early innings but most were right at fielders. The notable exception was Ozuna's double to left-center in the second.
When Chris Johnson followed with a single, Miami had runners on the corners with no outs. But Andino and Jeff Mathis struck out, and Chicago second baseman Saladino was able to run down Hechavarria's blooper to shallow center.
