MIAMI — Dioner Navarro scored from third base in the eighth inning on a strikeout/wild pitch, leading the Chicago White Sox to an 8-7 win over the Miami Marlins on Saturday night at Marlins Park.
Rookie Jason Coats started the two-run, eighth-inning rally with a single. After a walk by Navarro, pinch-hitter Justin Morneau, facing reliever Kyle Barraclough (6-3), doubled off the fence in right to tie the score 7-7.
With two outs and the less-than-speedy Navarro at third, Barraclough bounced a 2-2 pitch to a swinging Melky Cabrera. The ball caromed off catcher J.T. Realmuto, rolling to his left. With no chance to get Cabrera at first, Realmuto tossed to Barraclough at the plate, but the pitcher could not make the grab and the go-ahead run scored.
Chicago overcame excellent efforts by Miami’s Giancarlo Stanton and Martin Prado, each of whom had a homer and three RBIs. Stanton’s one-out, two-run single in the fourth inning off reliever Matt Albers gave the Marlins a 7-5 lead.
Stanton was the last out of the game, getting tagged out at second as he pulled up with what appeared to be an injury to his left leg. David Robertson pitched that ninth for his 29th save of the season and reliever Chris Beck (1-0) got the win.
Chicago made it 7-6 on a fielder’s choice by Adam Eaton in the sixth. That set the stage for the rally in the eighth.
The White Sox (56-60) will go for a three-game sweep over the Marlins (60-56) on Sunday.
Neither starting pitcher fared well, although both escaped with no-decisions.
Chicago’s James Shields, who is halfway through a four-year, $75 million contract, allowed 10 hits and seven runs. In his past 9 1/3 innings, Shields has allowed 21 runs, all earned.
Miami’s Adam Conley lasted four innings and allowed five hits, four walks and five runs. In the first two innings, four Chicago hitters reached base against Conley despite having two strikes, and that led to four runs in those innings.
Conley, though, went 2-for-2 as a hitter, scoring two runs. His leadoff single led to a four-run third and his leadoff single in the fourth aided a two-run rally.
NOTES: White Sox 2B Brett Lawrie, who has been on the disabled list since July 27 due to a hamstring injury, was sent to Double-A Birmingham for a rehab assignment. Lawrie has 22 doubles and 12 home runs this season. … White Sox LHP Chris Sale, this year’s AL All-Star starter, will start on Sunday. It was supposed to be a battle of All-Stars, but Miami decided to rest RHP Jose Fernandez until next Friday. RHP Tom Koehler, who is 3-0 with a 0.67 ERA in his last four starts, will move up one day and start in place of Fernandez. … RHP Andrew Cashner, who lost on Friday, is 0-2 with a 6.61 ERA since being acquired by Miami at the trade deadline. He will be a free agent after this season. … Marlins RHP Bryan Morris, who had back surgery in June, is throwing bullpen sessions and hopes to return next month.