Two heroes stepped up for the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday, one far more unlikely than the other.
Before first baseman Christian Walker cranked two home runs — including a walk-off two-run blast in the 10th inning to give the Diamondbacks a 4-3 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers — Matt Hilton had to step up to the plate in a major way for Arizona. Hilton, the Phoenix branch manager of Sky Blue Pest Control, had to be called upon to remove a swarm of bees from the netting above home plate, which caused a nearly two-hour delay before first pitch.
Hilton, who had raced over to Chase Field from his son’s tee ball game in suburban Surprise, Arizona, appeared to enjoy every bit of his brush with fame. After removing the bees to raucous applause from fans (and even a “Thank You, Bee Guy” chant), Hilton accepted the D-backs’ invitation to throw out the game’s first pitch — while still in his full beekeeper gear.
But Hilton’s time in the spotlight was not yet over. He later signed a deal with the iconic trading card company Topps to be featured on a special-edition autographed baseball card commemorating his night.
The Diamondbacks themselves also got in the action, offering a “Buy One, Get One Free-Bee” ticket promotion for their weekend series against the San Diego Padres.
The Diamondbacks have fully leaned into the bit since even before the moment Hilton stepped on the field Tuesday evening. The in-stadium D.J. at Chase Field played songs like Lil’ Wayne’s “Black and Yellow,” “Let It Be” and some well-known Beyoncé hits during the delay, while the team’s official X account posted fun facts about bees.
Later on in the game, the D-backs updated their anti-Dodgers “Beat L.A.” stadium graphic with a bee logo and, yes, changed the wording to “Beet L.A.” It all paid off in the end, as Walker’s extra-inning walk-off home run sent fans home buzzing about his — and Hilton’s — heroics.
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