Mar 18, 2014; Tampa, FL, USA; New York Yankees grounds crew sprays bees in the outfield against the Boston Red Sox at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Roughly three-quarters of Boston was buzzed on St. Patrick’s Day. But even that paled in comparison to Tampa, FL for Tuesday’s spring training tilt between the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees.
The scheduled action ground to a halt in the bottom of the third when Mike Carp alerted the umpires to an intensifying situation in left field: a swarm of bees. The grounds crew was dispatched and promptly sloshed insecticide over the area, delaying the game for seven minutes and drawing cheers from the sellout crowd of 11,032.
The Yankee offense garnered the rest of the applause on the day, slamming Boston starter Felix Doubront for seven runs on 10 hits and three walks in 3 1/3 innings. Brandon Workman let up a three-run bomb to Alfonso Soriano after Doubront exited with runners on. The Bombers took an 8-0 lead with the blow and never looked back, eventually walking away with the 8-1 victory.
Michael Pineda was the pitching star for New York, tossing 4 1/3 sharp innings and shutting out the Sox as he continues to impress in his bid for a starting slot after two injury-riddled seasons.
Jonathan Herrera went 2-4 for the Sox and drove in Boston’s only run with an eighth inning single.
Back to the bees. The scene was surreal (not quite as surreal as Joba Chamberlain’s unraveling at the hands of thousands of midges in the 2007 ALDS, but close). The stadium PA system played “Flight of the Bumble Bee” as the grounds crew worked, and Mark Teixiera retreated to the clubhouse, emerging with two bottles of honey and letting the guys know his services were available, as Joe Girardi quipped during the break in the action, to “lead ’em out.”
Notes: Jacoby Ellsbury sat against his former team with a strained calf…in his pregame presser, John Farrell said he intends to carry three lefties in the ‘pen and they’re exploring using Daniel Nava in center field…Jake Peavy takes the mound for the Sox on Wednesday when they host the Pirates in Fort Myers at 7:05. The game will be broadcast on NESN and WEEI-FM.