There was buzz around Chase Field on Tuesday night, and not just because Shohei Ohtani and the Dodgers were in town.
Moments before 6:40 p.m., the Arizona Diamondbacks announced that Tuesday's game had been postponed due to a bee colony that had formed on the net behind home plate.
Finally, after a long delay, beekeeper from Blue Sky Pest Control, Matt Hilton, arrived to raucous cheers just before 8 p.m., mounted a scissor lift, and then sprayed the beehive before vacuuming the bees into sealed containers. In less than 10 minutes, the entire cell was gone.
When the beekeeper got off the elevator, he pumped his fist to a standing ovation from the Chase Field crowd. On the scoreboard, the Diamondbacks displayed a message that read, “Thank you, Bee Man.” In the dugout, Corbin Carroll was the only Arizona player watching the proceedings. In the stands, fans briefly erupted in Beekeepers' MVP chants.
The match finally resumed at 8:35pm after a cool-down period for the Bees to leave the area. Helton delivered the ceremonial first pitch while still dressed as a beekeeper. For the Diamondbacks, reliever Brandon Hughes replaced scheduled starter Jordan Montgomery, who was scratched due to the delay.
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This is the second time this season that a Diamondbacks home game has been delayed, despite playing in a retractable-roof stadium that appears protected from the elements. In late March, one of their exhibition games against the Guardians was canceled due to a rainstorm midway through the game because the roof could not currently be closed with fans present.
It's also not the first time the Bees have affected a major league game. In 2023, a game between the Orioles and Rockies was paused during the first innings due to a swarm near the bullpen. In 2019, a game between the Reds and Giants was delayed by 20 minutes due to a swarm near home plate. And in 2013, the Mariners and Angels were shut down for 23 minutes thanks to a swarm near the outfield wall. And in 2014, the DBacks-Giants game at Chase Field was disrupted by bees.
However, none of these swarms produced a cell the size of the one at Chase Field on Tuesday night, nor a long delay.
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