Sale Ejected Before Pitch vs Yankees After Balk Dispute
Get the Sports newsletter
Daily sports — scores, transfers, the storylines from the leagues you actually follow. Free.
- Chris Sale was ejected by umpire Dan Merzel before a pitch was thrown in Sunday's Braves-Yankees game, a day after Merzel called him for a balk that scored a run in Saturday's 5-4 loss.
- Spencer Jones scored on the balk after hitting an RBI triple, and manager Walt Weiss was also ejected after continuing the argument on Sale's behalf.
- Crew chief Dan Bellino explained the balk was called because Sale did not declare pitching from the windup for Austin Wells' at-bat, though he had done so when striking out José Caballero.
- The ejection was Sale's fourth career and first since August 3, 2019, when he was tossed as a Boston Red Sox pitcher by Mike Estabrook for arguing balls and strikes.
- Sale is 12-7 with a 2.20 ERA in 21 starts this season, his third with the Braves, and Saturday's loss was his first since June 28.
Why it matters: The balk — a technical windup-declaration infraction — directly cost the Braves a run in Saturday's 5-4 loss, and Sunday's ejection means Atlanta plays without its 12-7, 2.20 ERA ace for the immediate game. Manager Walt Weiss was also tossed, and it's Sale's first ejection since 2019.
Ask SkimNews
