Rockies pitcher Darren Oliver went running from his start in the sixth inning Thursday when a swarm of bees descended on Tucson Electric Park in Tucson, Arizona, cutting short Colorado's game against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Rockies won 3-1.
"I guess we've got to call that a `Bee' game," Arizona manager Bob Melvin quipped.
The bees literally chased Oliver from the mound. He kept trying to go back, but the bees would go after him again. Finally, after a 20-minute delay, he left for good and let Colorado reliever Allan Simpson complete the inning.
Oliver said the bees apparently were attracted to the coconut oil in his hair gel.
"I guess I must have smelled good. It was kind of funny at first, but after a while I started getting a little nervous and scared out there," he said.
The Diamondbacks took the field in the sixth, but by then the bees had spread over the entire field. Shortstop Sergio Santos, who had just entered the game, was chased all the way into deep center field.
"There were like little packs moving around," said Arizona's Luis Gonzalez, who hit his first homer of the spring in the first inning and was on third after a triple when play stopped. "They were all over the pitcher, and Santos when he went out. I think it was either their cologne or deodorant or something. They've got to switch it up."
There was a brief bee delay at the same ballpark two years ago.
But Joe Garagiola Sr., attending the game with his son, Diamondbacks general manager Joe Garagiola Jr., said he had never seen anything like Thursday's invasion.
"And I go back to 1942," the elder Garagiola said.
Kerry Wood never made it to the mound Thursday. He woke up with a tight back and pulled out of his first start since walking off the mound March 9 with a tight shoulder. Instead, Glendon Rusch pitched five scoreless innings to lead the Cubs over the Oakland Athletics 5-2 in Mesa, Arizona.
Cubs pitching coach Larry Rothschild said if Wood feels fine Friday, he will throw a simulated game.
At Tampa, Florida, Randy Johnson learned he will start the Yankees' opener April 3 against Boston after he gave up one hit over six scoreless innings in a 12-2 victory over the Atlanta Braves.
"It's a big upset," New York manager Joe Torre said jokingly. "He basically pitched today like he's going to pitch. He's been doing it for years. It's nice to see him do it in our uniform. It seemed so effortless for him today."
It will be Johnson's 13th opening day assignment, tying him with Houston's Roger Clemens for the most among active pitchers. The major league record is 16 by Tom Seaver.
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