Braves ace Chris Sale ejected by umpire Dan Merzel before start of game against Yankees

Atlanta Braves pitcher Chris Sale was ejected by umpire Dan Merzel before the first pitch of Sunday's game against the New York Yankees, just a day after receiving a balk call that scored a run. As the umpires approached the Braves' dugout on the third base side, Sale began shouting. Merzel tossed Sale, and Sale spoke with crew chief Dan Bellino near the dugout railing.

Sale was called for his third career balk in the fifth inning of Saturday's 5-4 loss to the Yankees. Rookie Spencer Jones scored on the balk after an RBI triple, and Sale began aggressively arguing with Merzel, which led manager Walt Weiss to be ejected as well. Bellino stated that Sale was called for the balk because he did not announce his pitch from the windup.

Sale's fourth ejection in his career occurred four years after his previous one on August 3, 2019, while pitching for Boston. Sale allowed three runs and five hits in six innings of his first loss since June 28 in Saturday's game. In his third season with the Braves, the 34-year-old left-hander has a 12-7 record with a 2.20 ERA in 21 starts.