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Un-bee-lievable: Sights and sounds from MLB's bizarre delay
Bees swarm on the home plate net delaying the start of the game between the Dodgers and the Diamondbacks at Chase Field in Phoenix on April 30, 2024. Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

Tuesday’s matchup between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks was delayed for nearly two hours. The cause of the delay? Bees.

A swarm of bees gathered around one portion of the safety netting behind home plate at Chase Field in Phoenix, Ariz.

Given that the bees potentially threatened the safety of fans in the crowd, the grounds crew was tasked to deal with the issue before allowing the game to begin.

The delay lasted for over an hour and a half, which would have been enough time to watch the 2007 cult classic “Bee Movie” to pass the time.

The Diamondbacks eventually got local bee specialist Matt Hilton to deal with the problem. The Chase Field staff fittingly played the 1984 hit “Holding Out For A Hero” by Bonnie Tyler while Hilton got to work.

Regardless of the outcome of the Diamondbacks-Dodgers contest, Hilton automatically became the big winner of the evening. The bee keeper received MVP chants and even threw out the first pitch of the ballgame.

The father of four was built for the spotlight based on how he played to the crowd after dealing with the bee fiasco.

Tuesday’s bee delay was one Hilton — and the fans in attendance — will surely never forget.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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