Atlanta Braves pitcher Chris Sale experienced an unexpected ejection on Sunday afternoon at Yankee Stadium. Although he wasn’t scheduled to pitch, Sale was still upset about a balk call from the previous night’s game against the New York Yankees.
Before the series finale between the Braves and Yankees began, Sale voiced his frustration towards umpire Dan Merzel. This happened before Yankees starter Cam Schlittler had even thrown a pitch.
Merzel, upon hearing Sale’s comments, made the decision to eject the veteran left-hander. Despite being removed from the game, Sale continued to express his displeasure towards crew chief Dan Bellino.
Throughout his career, Sale has rarely been called for balks, having only two such incidents prior to Saturday’s controversial call. However, during the fifth inning on Saturday night, Merzel ruled the balk, allowing Yankees rookie Spencer Jones to score after an RBI triple.
This run proved crucial, as the Yankees secured a narrow 5-4 victory. Braves manager Walt Weiss was also ejected, possibly for stepping in to argue on Sale’s behalf.
According to Bellino, the balk was called due to Sale not declaring his pitching position from the windup. Sale was working from the windup against José Caballero but did not declare it before facing Austin Wells.
Sale concluded his night with three runs allowed on five hits over six innings, marking his first loss since June. Despite the loss, he maintains a strong season record, with a 2.20 ERA across 21 starts for the NL East-leading Braves.
The Braves ended the series on a positive note with a 2-1 victory over the Yankees in extra innings on Sunday. However, Sale watched the game from outside the dugout due to his ejection.