Skunk interrupts identical two Minor League groups AGAIN

Something is within the air when these two groups meet.

For the second time this season, a skunk has interrupted play between the Double-A Bowie Baysox (Orioles) and Harrisburg Senators (Nationals).

In the underside of the sixth inning on Tuesday evening at Harrisburg’s FNB Field, a black-and-white striped critter appeared simply exterior the right-field foul line past the infield dust. Home-plate umpire Evin Johnson referred to as time, Baysox right-hander Alex Pham stepped off the mound, two members of the grounds crew gathered their braveness and the chase was on.

Pursued by a polo-shirted duo and cheered by the Harrisburg trustworthy, the adventurous little creature took a reasonably leisurely stroll throughout the infield earlier than displaying some wheels within the outfield – good day, Juan La-pew-ierre – and marching alongside the warning monitor in foul floor in left.

It raised its tail in obvious warning as soon as, then escaped into the Bowie bullpen. From there, it evidently made its method elsewhere into the stadium.

“It’s off to the Kids Zone,” Harrisburg’s Frankie Vernouski mentioned on the printed. “Kids, look out!”

Thus ended the delay of greater than two minutes. The earlier skunk-induced interlude in Baysox-Senators motion occurred on May 10, when a specimen of Mephitis mephitis — presumably the identical one which appeared on Tuesday — took the highlight within the eighth inning, making its method from left discipline to shallow left-center earlier than being chased by a grounds crew member out to the warning monitor earlier than disappearing below the wall in useless middle.

The Senators received that sport, 3-2, and took Tuesday evening’s affair, 5-4, making Harrisburg undefeated in skunk-interrupted video games towards Bowie within the 2023 season. So far.

The Sens’ house of FNB Field is likely one of the most attention-grabbing stadiums in all the Minor Leagues, located on a landmass in the course of the Susquehanna River — City Island. The island is accessible by way of two bridges (together with the stately pedestrian-only Walnut Street Bridge) and a ferry, and it options quite a few sights of curiosity to followers, such because the “One & Only World Famous Life Size Bobblehead Hall of Fame.”

But these bobbleheads, apparently, will not be alone on the market. 

“There are a lot of skunks on this island,” Harrisburg broadcaster Terry Byrom mentioned on Tuesday. “I’m really surprised it’s only happened a couple times.”