Another week, another bird death in baseball.
Cleveland Guardians outfielder Will Brennan hit a grounder that collided with a bird sitting between second and third base during the second inning of a game with the Chicago White Sox. The bird appeared to be killed instantly by the 100.1 mph ball and was taken off the field by a member of the grounds crew with a shovel.
It’s hard to see at first, but the bird can be spotted when the camera cuts to Brennan on second base.
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Brennan later apologized on Twitter for the accidental killing.
“I truly am sorry @peta and bird enthusiasts,” Brennan wrote. “An unfortunate sacrifice.”
The Guardians went on to beat the White Sox, 3-0. Brennan’s only hit of his three at-bats was the one that killed the bird.
Second bird death in a week
Six days ago, Arizona Diamondbacks Zac Gallen hit a bird with a warm-up pitch before a road game against the Oakland Athletics. It sparked instant comparisons to the infamous pitch by Randy Johnson, which killed a bird mid-flight during a spring training game in 2001.
Coincidentally, both Brennan’s Guardians and Gallen’s Diamondbacks still won their respective games despite striking and killing a wandering animal.