Fans who came to Comerica Park for Monday night's (July 27) matchup between the Detroit Tigers and Baltimore Orioles got an unexpected show when a single black squirrel turned the middle innings into pure chaos.
The furry intruder stole the spotlight during the Orioles' 8-5 victory, darting across the field for nearly a full inning while players, grounds crew members, and even umpires watched the chase unfold.
The squirrel's adventure began near the warning track before it sprinted into shallow left field, wandered along the foul lines, and even paused beside Orioles third-base coach Buck Britton, who tossed a few sunflower seeds in its direction. At one point, the squirrel also briefly stopped to inspect a nearby bird before continuing its tour of the stadium.
Things escalated during the seventh-inning stretch when the Tigers' grounds crew flooded the field armed with towels in an effort to safely capture the speedy animal.
The chase eventually reached the right-field corner, where Orioles outfielder Leody Taveras found himself at the center of one of the night's funniest moments after the squirrel unexpectedly leaped into his glove.
Taveras later explained the encounter wasn't intentional.
"I just was trying to stop it," he said. "When it got into my glove, I didn't want to squeeze it, so I was just trying to bring it up. I wasn't trying to do that. But they got it out. I hope it's good."
The squirrel quickly escaped again, weaving through several failed towel attempts before one member of the grounds crew finally managed to wrap it safely in a towel and carry it off the field to a round of applause.
As the spectacle unfolded, Tigers television broadcaster Jason Benetti couldn't resist providing colorful commentary.
"We're six innings deep, it's 8-5, this game has been a zoo," he joked as the squirrel continued evading capture.
Even Tigers mascot PAWS joined in on the fun, appearing in the stands with a handmade sign that read, "Free the squirrel."
The squirrel remained one of the biggest talking points after the game.
Orioles interim manager Craig Albernaz joked that the animal nearly became part of the action.
"The whole squirrel thing was nuts," Albernaz said. "At one point, I thought he was going to go into the batter's box, see what was going on. He had a great view of the game."
He also laughed about discovering after the game that Taveras briefly "caught" the squirrel in his glove.
"I had no idea Leody tried to glove-flip it or catch it in right field. I didn't see that video until after the game. Nice job, Leody."
Players continued reliving the bizarre sequence inside Baltimore's clubhouse after the final out, with highlights of the chase replaying on TV.
