Braves ace Chris Sale ejected before first pitch vs. Yankees, argues with umpire

NEW YORK — Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Chris Sale was ejected before the first pitch of Sunday’s game at Yankee Stadium.

Television cameras caught Sale having an intense conversation from inside the dugout, with plate umpire Dan Bellino leaning over the railing. The other umpires were within earshot of the conversation, and third-base umpire Dan Merzel ultimately motioned for Sale to be thrown out.

It all happened with the Yankees’ defense set, starting pitcher Cam Schlittler on the mound and Braves leadoff man Drake Baldwin nearly ready to bat.

The ejection comes one day after a contentious balk call against Sale in his start against the Yankees. Manager Walt Weiss was ejected after arguing the call, allowing Spencer Jones to score from third base with one out in the fifth inning. Sale, who had two strikes reversed into balls earlier the same inning, also complained about the call. The Braves went on to lose the game, 5-4.

After the game, Weiss said Merzel, who was the plate umpire at the time, made a “terrible call” and said Merzel explained that Sale decided to pitch out of the windup for the at-bat without declaring it to the umpire first.

“Sale declared the hitter before that he was going out of the windup,” Weiss said, according to the Associated Press. “He said he did not declare after that. He’s never done that in his career, so it’s a terrible call. I always try to show the umpires respect, and they know that, but you can’t make that call right there.”

Weiss and Bellino had a nearly nose-to-nose conversation on the field behind home plate after the first inning, but no other ejections happened.

Sale has been known to have a hot head at times, like when he cut up the Chicago White Sox’s throwback jerseys in 2016. This is his fourth career ejection and his first since Aug. 3, 2019, when he argued balls and strikes while pitching for the Boston Red Sox against the Yankees at Yankee Stadium.

This is not the first time someone has been ejected before the start of the game. In 2015, then-Cincinnati Reds manager Bryan Price was thrown out after arguing with the umpire while bringing out the lineup card before facing the Cleveland Indians. In 2024, then-San Francisco Giants manager Bob Melvin was ejected before the first pitch of a game vs. the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field because, he said, “I just talked too much” to the umpires.