Chris Sale Ejected Before Game Start After Balk Incident

Early Ejection for Braves’ Chris Sale

Atlanta Braves pitcher Chris Sale faced an unusual ejection from umpire Dan Merzel before Sunday’s game against the New York Yankees commenced. This incident followed Sale’s balk call which scored a run during Saturday’s game.

Events Leading to Ejection

While umpires entered the field and passed by the Braves’ dugout, Sale began shouting at Merzel. The umpire subsequently ejected him. Sale exchanged words with crew chief Dan Bellino beside the dugout rail after being removed.

Balk Controversy

On Saturday, Sale’s third career balk was called by Merzel in the fifth inning, contributing to a 5-4 loss against the Yankees. The balk allowed rookie Spencer Jones to score after an RBI triple. Sale vocally challenged Merzel’s decision, prompting manager Walt Weiss to continue the protest, resulting in Weiss’s ejection.

Sale’s Pitching Declaration

Bellino explained to a pool reporter that Sale was required to declare his pitching stance. Sale declared he would pitch from a windup while striking out José Caballero but failed to do so before Austin Wells’ at-bat, leading to the balk call.

Previous Ejections

Sale has now been ejected four times in his career. His former ejection occurred on August 3, 2019. At that time, he was playing for the Boston Red Sox and was removed by umpire Mike Estabrook for disputing the calls in the fourth inning of a 9-2 defeat at Yankee Stadium.

Season Performance

Sale managed to pitch six innings on Saturday, conceding three runs and five hits, marking his first defeat since June 28. Entering his third season with the Braves, Sale holds a 12-7 record and a 2.20 ERA over 21 starts.