Beekeeper Matt Hilton throws the ceremonial first pitch prior to a baseball game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Arizona Diamondbacks, Tuesday, April 30, 2024, in Phoenix. Hilton cleared a swarm of bees on the net behind home plate, delaying the start of the game.
1:00 JST, May 2, 2024
PHOENIX (AP) — Christian Walker homered twice, including a two-run drive in the 10th inning that gave the Arizona Diamondbacks a delayed 4-3 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday night.
A bee swarm atop the mesh behind home plate caused a nearly two-hour delay as players and fans waited for a beekeeper to remove the colony. Players tried to keep busy in the covered batting cage and clubhouse to pass the time while they waited for the bees to be removed.
A beekeeper removes a swarm of bees that have gathered on the net behind home plate, delaying the start of a baseball game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Arizona Diamondbacks, Tuesday, April 30, 2024, in Phoenix.
“It was weird, but kudos to the guys for shutting it down and turning it back on and being ready to play,” Walker said.
Activity in the game started late.
Gabriel Moreno hit a tying single for Arizona in the eighth, but Los Angeles reliever Nabil Crismatt (1-1) worked a perfect ninth to send the game into extra innings.
The Dodgers loaded the bases against Scott McGough (1-3) in the 10th, and Will Smith drove in Gavin Lux with a sacrifice fly for a one-run lead.
Walker initially wanted to go up to try to move the automatic runner from second to third, but Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo told him to end the game. Wasting no more time buzzing around, Walker launched Crismatt’s third pitch of the 10th into the left field seats, sparking a wild celebration at Chase Field.
“That was a little bit of an edge that I needed, otherwise I might have tried to use the middle of the field and move a runner to third base there,” Walker said. “I think a little bit of freedom and forgiveness helped me.”
The Diamondbacks opted to make the switch after the long wait, sending out left-hander Brandon Hughes in place of projected starter Jordan Montgomery, who had gone through his full warm-up before the postponement was announced.
Los Angeles stuck with Landon Knack and he gave up a solo homer to Walker in the fourth — the only run the right-hander allowed on three hits in five innings.
The Dodgers loaded the bases against Justin Martinez in the fifth and tied the game on Joe Mantiply’s wild pitch. A balk by Mantiply scored Smith from third base to make it 2-1 in the sixth.
But the Diamondbacks rallied late to get a much-needed victory on a bizarre night at the ballpark.
“One of my friends sent me a Google screenshot of honey bees and how they are a sign of ancient good fortune,” Hughes said after getting his first career start in his Arizona debut. “And it actually went a little deeper, how they use teamwork and collaboration. I mean, that was a win for the whole team.”
