NEW YORK – Braves left-hander Chris Sale was ejected by third-base umpire Dan Merzel before Sunday’s 2-1, 10-inning win over the Yankees.
Sale was still upset about Saturday’s game, when he was charged with a balk by Merzel, who was the home-plate umpire, during Atlanta’s 5-4 loss to New York at Yankee Stadium.
“[Sale] had some words for the umpire from yesterday,” Braves manager Walt Weiss said. “Everyone had their say, and we moved on.”
Braves center fielder Michael Harris II was near Sale in the dugout when the umpires threw the pitcher out of the game.
“The game was about to start, and I saw the umpires walking up and doing their motion to throw [Sale] out,” Harris remembered. “A lot of people didn’t know that it happened. Nothing particularly happens before a game. … I was by the bat rack because the game was about to start. I was getting my helmet.”
During his start on Saturday, with the score tied at 2, Spencer Jones on third and Austin Wells batting in the fifth inning, Merzel said Sale twitched his right leg before informing the umpire that he was going to throw from the windup. Merzel then called the balk and told Jones to touch home.
Sale and Weiss argued for several minutes. Weiss was then ejected from the game with the Yankees leading, 3-2. It was Weiss' first ejection as the Braves' manager.
“He is required by rule to make that declaration as a hybrid pitcher,” said crew chief Dan Bellino. “Your traditional pitcher that pitches from the traditional windup and traditional stretch does not have to make the declaration.”
Per Elias, Sale was ejected for the fourth time in his career but the first in a game in which he did not pitch. The last time came seven years ago this week at Yankee Stadium – Aug. 3, 2019, while pitching for the Red Sox.