April MLB games are sometimes hard to complete thanks to the unpredictable spring weather in the United States. There are always bound to be several postponements and delays thanks to a thunderstorm or some rainfall. Tuesday's NL West contest between the Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Dodgers was delayed for nearly two hours, but not for a weather-related reason.
A swarm of bees made its way into Chase Field and were perched atop the netting behind home plate. The possibility of it becoming a safety hazard caused a delay at the start of the game as the Diamondbacks notified the proper people to try and get some help with the bees.
Eventually, word got to Blue Sky Pest Control employee Matt Hilton. A half-hour later, Hilton was at Chase Field in his beekeeper gear, ready to collect the dozens of bees and get the ballgame started.
“It was a little nerve-wracking, I'm not going to lie,” Hilton said, per MLB.com. “Lot of pressure to get this game going. But I was happy to come and take care of it.”
Hilton's job didn’t end with getting rid of the bees. Still dressed in full work attire, Hilton tossed a ceremonial first pitch before the game. He received multiple standing ovations from the crowd and got some “M-V-P” chants as well. In a way, he was the MVP of that game, a 4-3 win for the Diamondbacks.
D-backs use extra innings to buzz past Dodgers
The Diamondbacks are looking for consistency as they've gotten off to a rocky start this season. Arizona hasn’t won consecutive games since April 13 and 14 and has only two series wins all season.
After the bee delay, the D-backs continued to struggle offensively, failing to score a run in the first three innings. Arizona averaged two runs per game in its last five games entering Tuesday's contest.
Christian Walker's solo home run in the bottom of the fourth inning opened the scoring. It was his second hit of the night. The Dodgers took the lead with a run in the fifth and sixth, then the Diamondbacks sent it to extra after tying it at two in the eighth.
In the bottom of the tenth inning, like the flight of the bumblebee, Walker again launched a ball into the outfield crowd for his second homer of the night. It was a game-winner for the D-backs and a fitting end to a feel-good night in Phoenix.
Perhaps it's only one win, but it will serve as a memorable one for the 2024 Diamondbacks season. Regardless of how the year finishes, D-backs fans will look back on April 30 as the “Bee Game.”
With the Phoenix Suns recently eliminated from the NBA Playoffs and the Arizona Coyotes leaving the state to play in Utah, Arizona sports fans have to rely on the Diamondbacks for their sports fill and expect to see consistent winning after capturing the NL pennant last season.
An extra-inning win in April might not mean much in the grand scheme of the season, but it could serve as a stepping-off point for the Diamondbacks.
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