There was buzz around Chase Field Tuesday night, and not just because Shohei Ohtani and the Dodgers are in town.
Moments before first pitch scheduled for 6:40 p.m., the Arizona Diamondbacks announced that Tuesday’s game had been delayed due to a colony of bees that had formed on the netting behind home plate.
Finally, after a long delay, a beekeeper from Blue Sky Pest Control, Matt Hilton, arrived to loud cheers shortly before 8 p.m. He mounted a scissor lift, then sprayed the hive before vacuuming the bees into sealed containers. In less than 10 minutes, the entire hive was gone.
As the Beekeeper stepped off the elevator, he raised his fist to a standing ovation from the Chase Field crowd. On the scoreboard, the Diamondbacks posted a message saying, “Thank you, honey bee. » In the dugout, Corbin Carroll was the only Arizona player watching the proceedings. In the stands, fans briefly sang MVP chants for the beekeeper.
The game finally resumed at 8:35 p.m. after a cooling-off period for the bees to leave the area. Hilton threw out the ceremonial first pitch, still dressed in his beekeeper outfit. For the Diamondbacks, reliever Brandon Hughes replaced scheduled starter Jordan Montgomery, who was scratched due to the delay.
Bee etiquette:How to behave with our pollinator friends and avoid bee attacks
It’s the second time already this season the Diamondbacks have had a home game delayed, despite playing in a stadium with a retractable roof seemingly protected from the elements. In late March, one of their exhibition games against the Guardians was canceled due to a mid-game rainstorm, as the roof could not currently close with fans present.
This isn’t the first time the Bees have had an impact on a major league game, either. In 2023, a game between the Orioles and Rockies was interrupted in the first innings due to a swarm near the bullpen. In 2019, a game between the Reds and Giants was delayed 20 minutes due to a swarm near home plate. And in 2013, the Mariners and Angels were put on a timeout for 23 minutes thanks to a swarm near the outfield wall. And, in 2014, a DBacks-Giants game at Chase Field was disrupted by bees.
However, none of these swarms produced a hive as large as the one at Chase Field on Tuesday evening, nor did it produce as long a time frame.
News Source : www.azcentral.com
Gn sports
