What was expected to be routine Tuesday night at Chase Field changed when the Los Angeles Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks were delayed by bees on April 30, 2024.
A swarm of bees began to settle on the top of the protective netting behind home plate roughly 20 minutes before the scheduled start time. That quickly grew to hundreds of bees, and due to the safety concerns for everyone at the ballpark, the game was delayed.
“This is a tough one. Miguel Rojas actually had a game a few years ago in Miami where they ended up canceling the game,” manager Dave Roberts said at the time. “I think right now, we’re just trying to figure out the situation.
“Obviously we see the bees, how long will it take a beekeeper to come take care of the situation and/or just proceed, and then just kind of weighing out the potential harm it might cause. It’s on the screen, the top of the netting, so if a foul ball hits the screen, what happens to the bees at that point in time? It’s sort of like an unknown right now.
“I know Adrian Johnson, the crew chief, is in contact with Major League Baseball and right now he’s talking to Torey Lovullo and the Diamondbacks trying to figure this out. We’re just trying to figure it out because obviously, safety is the most important thing, but as far as the game itself, we got both starters ready to go.
“If you delay an hour, you burn both starters, so that’s what we’re kind of trying to figure it out. But obviously, safety is most important.”
A beekeeper, Matt Hilton, the Phoenix branch manager for the DiaBlue Sky Pest Control, ultimately arrived at Chase Field to tend to the matter. Hilton sprayed the bees with a non-toxic solution and relocated them to a site away from the ballpark.
The game began nearly two hours later than the originally scheduled start time of 6:40 p.m. PT. Landon Knack still made the start but was limited by Roberts to just five innings in the interest of health after the delay.
The Diamondbacks wound up defeating the Dodgers in extra innings on Christian Walker’s two-run, walk-off home run.
Dodgers history: bee delay not an MLB first
The incident at Chase Field wasn’t the first time bees have delayed or postponed a Major League game, with previous instances happening in Miami, and during a Spring Training matchup at Tempe Diablo Stadium between the Kansas City Royals and Los Angeles Angels.
Have you subscribed to the Dodger Blue YouTube channel? Be sure to ring the notification bell to watch player interviews, participate in shows and giveaways, and stay up to date on all Dodgers news and rumors!
