Aug. 15 (UPI) -- A shifty squirrel sprinted around a Minor League Baseball field recently, before being escorted to safety by a friendly pitching staff.
The jaunt took place in the third inning of the Pawtucket Red Sox's 4-0 win against the Norfolk Tides on Tuesday at McCoy Stadium in Pawtucket, R.I.
Pawtucket center fielder Rusney Castillo was facing Norfolk starter John Means in the frame. Means began the exchange with a pitch for a ball, before the game was delayed. The squirrel stood to the right of home plate, staring in the direction of Castillo and the umpire. It then jetted back toward the dugouts before running through the dirt in foul territory.
A man with large net attempted to corral the creature, but it was too fast. It bolted in front of the Pawtucket dugout, avoiding several coaches and players in the process.
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The squirrel then made its way past a ballboy before another close call with the net. It dodged a net swipe and neared a door in the outfield fence, where it was escorted off of the field by pitchers standing in the bullpen.
The squirrel chase was a good omen for Castillo, who doubled on the third pitch he saw from Means. Brandon Phillips brought in the Red Sox's first run of the game in the next at-bat, plating Tony Renda on a ground out. Castillo went 2-for-4 in the win. Means took the loss on the hill, allowing seven hits and three runs while tossing two strikeouts and allowing three walks in five innings of work.
