They say lightning does not strike twice but – for the second time in under a week – a bird has died after meeting the cruel fate of being hit by a flying baseball in an MLB game.
Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Zac Gallen mirrored Randy Johnson when he accidentally killed a bird last week with a throw and, continuing the trend, the Cleveland Guardians’ Will Brennan unfortunately followed suit on Monday.
The outfielder accidentally killed the bird when he smashed a groundball in the second inning of the Guardians’ game against the Chicago White Sox.
Taking to Twitter after Monday’s game, Brennan apologized for his part in the avian affair.
“I truly am sorry @peta and bird enthusiasts. An unfortunate sacrifice,” the rookie shared.
The bird’s passing did not prove to be a bad omen for the Guardians with Gabriel Arias notching a run later that inning.
The Guardians went on to beat the White Sox 3-0 in the first game of their three-game series.
The latest incident comes some 20 years after the most infamous avian casualty episode, which saw then Diamondbacks pitcher Johnson take out a bird in a flurry of feathers back in 2001.
Johnson, who was known for his 100+ mph fastballs, was throwing a pitch in the seventh inning of a spring training game when a bird flew by at just the right moment and was hit by the ball, with an explosion of feathers heralding the bird’s unfortunate demise.