Chris Sale ejected before first pitch at Yankee Stadium over Saturday night balk call
The catalyst was a fifth-inning balk call from the night before. Atlanta Braves starter Chris Sale, who carries a 2.20 ERA across 21 starts for the NL East-leading Braves, directed his frustration at umpire Dan Merzel as the umpiring crew walked onto Yankee Stadium's field before Sunday's series finale. Sale was ejected before New York Yankees starter Cam Schlittler threw a single official pitch.
Key takeaways
- Braves pitcher Chris Sale was ejected before Sunday's series finale at Yankee Stadium began, before Yankees starter Cam Schlittler threw an official pitch.
- The ejection stemmed from umpire Dan Merzel's fifth-inning balk call against Sale on Saturday night, the third balk of Sale's career.
- That balk allowed Yankees rookie Spencer Jones to score, and the Yankees went on to win 5-4, handing Sale his first loss since late June.
- Braves manager Walt Weiss was also ejected Sunday after being drawn into the argument between Sale and the umpires.
- Atlanta still won Sunday's finale 2-1 in extra innings without Sale, who entered the day with a 2.20 ERA across 21 starts for the NL East-leading Braves.
The catalyst was a fifth-inning balk call from the night before. Atlanta Braves starter Chris Sale, who carries a 2.20 ERA across 21 starts for the NL East-leading Braves, directed his frustration at umpire Dan Merzel as the umpiring crew walked onto Yankee Stadium's field before Sunday's series finale. Sale was ejected before New York Yankees starter Cam Schlittler threw a single official pitch.
The call and what it cost Saturday
Dan Merzel called Sale for his third career balk in the fifth inning Saturday night. Yankees rookie Spencer Jones scored on the play, having reached on an RBI triple the at-bat before. New York won 5-4, handing Sale his first loss since late June.
Crew chief Dan Bellino spoke to a pool reporter after Saturday's game and explained the mechanics: Sale had been pitching from the windup when he struck out Jose Caballero, but did not declare the same before facing Austin Wells. Merzel called it. Sale finished six innings, three runs on five hits. Sale had balked twice in his career before Saturday night. Merzel's call made it three.
Ejected before Sunday's first pitch
As the umpiring crew stepped onto the Yankee Stadium field for Sunday's game, Sale began shouting toward Merzel. The ejection came quickly. The veteran left-hander kept going, directing words toward crew chief Bellino even after the toss. That continued argument drew Braves manager Walt Weiss into the exchange. Weiss was also ejected, likely after stepping between Sale and Merzel as the back-and-forth ran on. Sale was out of the dugout before a pitch was thrown.
What to watch
Atlanta took the series finale without him. The Braves beat the Yankees 2-1 in extra innings, salvaging the trip to the Bronx even as Sale sat barred from the dugout. The confirmable next step: whether Major League Baseball adds a suspension to the ejection, and when Sale next takes the mound for a rotation that entered Sunday at the top of the NL East with a 2.20 ERA.
Filed by the newsroom of MarketPR on August 9, 2026. Source: foxnews.com. Indicative figures are not investment advice.