Braves ace Chris Sale is ejected before the first pitch of Atlanta’s game against the New York Yankees. Multiple reports say Sale is thrown out by third-base umpire Dan Merzel prior to the series finale getting underway, before Sale sees any pitches from the dugout.
Yahoo Sports reports that the rest of the umpiring crew takes the field after the ejection, while the Yankees’ starting pitcher, Cam Schlittler, is still in the process of finishing his warmup. The Athletic adds that this is Sale’s fourth career ejection, and his first since Aug. 3, 2019.
Across the outlets provided, the central points align on the timing (before the game begins), the person ejecting him (Merzel), and the circumstance (an argument). The coverage differs mainly in how much of the surrounding game-day sequence each outlet includes, but all describe the dismissal as occurring before play starts, with Sale not taking the field.
