Braves Pitcher Chris Sale Ejected Before Sunday Game After Balk Controversy

In a surprising turn of events, Atlanta Braves pitcher Chris Sale was ejected from the dugout before Sunday’s series finale against the New York Yankees. Although he had pitched the previous day, Sale was still vocal about a controversial balk call made during Saturday's game.

The incident occurred in the bottom of the fifth inning on Saturday when Sale was called for a balk by home plate umpire Dan Merzel. This decision allowed a Yankees runner on third base to score, giving New York a lead in a game that was tied 2-2 at the time. Sale was visibly upset with the call, prompting manager Walt Weiss to come out and defend him, which ultimately led to Weiss's ejection from the game.

Despite his frustrations, Sale managed to finish the game, pitching six innings and allowing three earned runs on five hits while striking out eight batters. However, the Braves lost the contest 5-4, marking Sale's seventh loss of the season, bringing his record to 12-7.

On Sunday, Sale was seen arguing with home plate umpire Dan Bellino before heading up the tunnel, indicating that he was still contesting the balk call from the previous day. His ejection before the game began highlighted the ongoing tensions between the pitcher and the umpiring crew.