Chris Sale Ejected Before First Pitch Following Controversial Balk vs. Yankees

Atlanta Braves left-hander Chris Sale was ejected by Dan Merzel prior to Sunday's game after a balk scored a run in Saturday's 5-4 defeat.

Atlanta Braves ace Chris Sale was ejected by umpire Dan Merzel before throwing a single pitch in Sunday's matchup against the New York Yankees. The incident occurred as the umpiring crew walked past the visitors' dugout on the third-base side, where Sale began shouting at the officials. This confrontation followed a specific sequence during Saturday's 5-4 loss, where Merzel called Sale for his third career balk in the fifth inning, allowing rookie Spencer Jones to score after an RBI triple.

Sale, a veteran left-hander in his third season with Atlanta, currently holds a 12-7 record with a 2.20 ERA across 21 starts. In Saturday's performance, he surrendered three runs and five hits over six innings of work, marking his first loss since June 28. The ejection on Sunday represents the fourth of his career and his first since August 3, 2019. During that previous incident at Yankee Stadium, Sale was pitching for Boston when Mike Estabrook tossed him in the fourth inning of a 9-2 loss for arguing balls and strikes.

The Balk Controversy and Umpire Explanation

Crew chief Dan Bellino provided clarification to a pool reporter regarding the fifth-inning balk that sparked the initial tension. According to Bellino, the infraction occurred because Sale failed to declare his intent to pitch from the windup. The officiating crew noted that while Sale had properly declared his windup delivery during a strikeout of José Caballero, he neglected to do so prior to the at-bat against Austin Wells.

Following the balk call on Saturday, Sale engaged in a fierce shouting match with Merzel. The argument escalated until Braves manager Walt Weiss intervened to continue the dispute, resulting in Weiss being ejected from the contest. On Sunday, the tension remained high as Sale spoke with Bellino near the dugout rail immediately after Merzel issued the pre-game ejection.

Statistical Impact and Career History

The veteran southpaw entered Sunday's game looking to move past a Saturday outing where he allowed five hits in six frames. Despite the 5-4 final score, Sale's season ERA remains at 2.20, one of the top marks in the league through his 21 appearances this year. The run scored by Spencer Jones proved pivotal in the one-run defeat, fueling the frustration that led to the pre-pitch dismissal the following afternoon.

This ejection marks a rare disciplinary moment for the Braves ace, who had gone seven years without being tossed from a Major League game. The 2019 incident in New York also featured a significant margin of defeat, as his former Red Sox team fell by seven runs. Sunday's events ensured that Sale would not participate in the series finale against the Yankees, leaving the Braves to proceed without their primary starter available on the bench. Bellino and Merzel maintained the ruling as Sale exited the field toward the clubhouse before the first inning commenced.