Atlanta Braves pitcher Chris Sale was ejected from Sunday afternoon's game at Yankee Stadium before a single pitch was thrown, stemming from a heated exchange with an umpire. Sale, who was not scheduled to pitch, expressed his strong disapproval over a balk call from the previous night's game against the New York Yankees.
Confrontation on the Field
As umpires took the field for the series finale in the Bronx, Sale directed his frustrations toward umpire Dan Merzel, who had made the balk call on Saturday. The outburst occurred prior to Yankees starter Cam Schlittler delivering the game's first official pitch. Merzel swiftly ejected Sale, but the veteran left-hander continued to voice his displeasure, reportedly shouting further comments toward crew chief Dan Bellino.
The Costly Balk Call
The balk call in question, which occurred during Saturday night's contest, was a rare occurrence for Sale, who had only been called for a balk twice in his entire career prior to that evening. Merzel's ruling in the fifth inning on Saturday marked Sale's third career balk. This particular call allowed Yankees rookie Spencer Jones to advance and score, following an RBI triple in the preceding at-bat. Ultimately, that run proved significant as the Yankees secured a narrow 5-4 victory. Braves manager Walt Weiss was also ejected from Saturday's game, an action believed to have occurred as he stepped in to continue the argument after Sale's initial protests to Merzel.
Umpire's Explanation and Sale's Performance
Following Saturday's game, crew chief Dan Bellino provided an explanation for the balk call to a pool reporter. Bellino stated that Sale was penalized for not clearly declaring his intention to pitch from the windup. According to Bellino, Sale had used the windup when striking out José Caballero but failed to do so before facing Austin Wells, leading to the balk. Sale's outing on Saturday concluded with him allowing three runs on five hits across six innings, marking his first loss since late June. Despite this setback, Sale has enjoyed a strong season with the National League East-leading Braves, maintaining a 2.20 ERA over 21 starts.
The Braves managed to salvage the series on Sunday, securing a 2-1 extra-innings victory over the Yankees. However, Sale was unable to witness the entirety of the game from the dugout due following his early ejection.
