Chris Sale was ejected before Sunday’s game at Yankee Stadium due to an argument with the umpires. He wasn’t scheduled to pitch in the series finale, making his ejection even more unusual.
The incident began when umpire Dan Merzel and his crew walked past the Braves’ dugout. Sale approached them, leading to an immediate ejection by Merzel. Before leaving the field, Sale exchanged words with umpire chief Dan Bellino.
The frustration stemmed from Saturday’s game. In the fifth inning, Yankees outfielder Spencer Jones tied the game with a triple. On the next pitch to Austin Wells, Merzel called a balk due to a hitch in Sale’s right leg, resulting in a 3-2 lead for the Yankees. It was only the third balk of Sale’s career.
Sale and Braves manager Walt Weiss argued the call, leading to Weiss’ ejection. Sale is a hybrid pitcher, switching between windup and stretch deliveries, requiring him to announce his choice before each pitch. He did this correctly earlier in the game but didn’t before the controversial pitch to Wells.
After Saturday’s game, Bellino confirmed the rule was followed. Sale had a strong season prior to this incident, with a 12-7 record and a 2.20 ERA over 21 starts.
Sunday marked Sale’s fourth career ejection, with the previous one also at Yankee Stadium in 2019 while he was with the Red Sox. This rare occurrence left the Braves without their ace for the series finale.