The Los Angeles Dodgers took Game 1 of the NLCS by a score of 9-0. With the victory, the Dodgers tied a postseason record with 33 scoreless innings. It was LA’s third straight shutout win as the team eliminated the San Diego Padres and jumped out to a lead in the Championship Series against the New York Mets.
Game 2 of the NLCS contained quite the surprise for Los Angeles. Despite the Diamondbacks long since eliminated from postseason contention, a snake could be seen at Dodger Stadium, per MLB.com. The slithery invader was making its way across the dugout steps when Dodgers’ players noticed the unwanted guest. LA reliever Brent Honeywell had kept the Mets in check during the top of the fifth inning but as he made his way to the dugout he was caught off guard by a small snake crossing his path.
Honeywell simply pointed at the scaly visitor and the team waited for a clubhouse attendant to wrap the serpent up in a towel and remove him from the vicinity.
Were Shohei Ohtani and the Dodgers snakebit in Game 2?
With the Dodgers losing 6-0 at the time, perhaps the team should have leaned into the intruder. Rally snake? After a disastrous Game 1 start by Kodai Senga and a complete lack of offense by New York, the Mets’ bats came alive early on Monday. Francisco Lindor snapped the Dodgers 33-inning scoreless streak and New York put up five runs in the second inning.
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However, since the snake appeared, the Dodgers have kept New York off the scoreboard and plated three runs, making it a 6-3 contest in the top of the ninth inning. The Mets are hoping to close out the game and even the series at 1-1 before heading back to New York for Game 3.
While it’s certainly not something you see every day, the LA snake isn’t the first unusual animal to interrupt a baseball game. The Oakland Athletics famously had possums living in the stadium’s broadcast booth. The A’s left Oakland and the possums behind as the team prepares for a move to Las Vegas. If they manage a comeback against the Mets in Game 2, maybe the Dodgers will embrace the snake.
