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 Diamondbacks announced that Tuesday's game had been postponed due to a bee colony that had formed on the net behind home plate.
This is the second time already 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 those swarms produced a hive as large as the one at Chase Field on Tuesday night, which sparked ongoing discussions among the umpires, grounds crew and both coaching staffs. About 40 minutes after the delay began, the Diamondbacks announced that they were awaiting the arrival of a professional beekeeper and that they “expect the game to resume immediately following the successful removal of the beehive.”
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