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In Astros-Padres Game, Beekeeper Earns a Save
By M. Morris
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Posted Jul 3, 09 10:22 AM CDT
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(Newser)
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The Astros-Padres game yesterday in San Diego drew a crowd of 23,284—and thousands of bees. Padres left fielder Kyle Blanks sighted the swarm in the top of the ninth and tried to signal the umpire, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports. "I saw Kyle walking toward the infield and I wondered 'Where's he going?,'" says center fielder Scott Hairston. "Then I saw the bees and took off running."
The insects followed their queen to the left-field ball girl's folded jacket, and the umpires halted the game. "It was a safety issue,” said the Padres' president. “They could have stung players, employees or fans." Instead, the bees waited patiently while team officials summoned a beekeeper. He received a standing ovation and dispatched the swarm in about 5 minutes. The game resumed after a 52-minute delay, and the Padres lost, 7-1.