LOS ANGELES, CA – OCTOBER 14: Mookie Betts #50 of the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrates with teammates in the dugout after scoring in the sixth inning during Game 2 of the NLCS presented by loanDepot between the New York Mets and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on Monday, October 14, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Michael Owens/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
The Dodgers were already grappling with the pressure of a tight National League Championship Series matchup against the New York Mets when an unexpected visitor decided to join the action.
During the fifth inning of Game 2 on Monday afternoon at Dodger Stadium, as pitcher Brent Honeywell stood on the top step of the dugout, he spotted something out of place. Something slithering.
It wasn’t the New York Mets causing the commotion this time — it was a snake.
There's a snake in my dugout! 🐍 #NLCS pic.twitter.com/9Qcko2lSAu
— MLB (@MLB) October 14, 2024
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In what could only be described as a surreal moment, Honeywell pointed out the reptilian intruder as it casually made its way across the steps. It wasn’t the Arizona Diamondbacks making an early trip to L.A., nor was it some prop from a Hollywood set—this was a real, live snake. And while it wasn’t big enough to be a true danger, it was definitely a showstopper.
"I've seen all kinds of stuff in the dugout before," joked Honeywell. "But when I walked off, I saw it was just a snake there. I don't think Danny [Dodgers bench coach Danny Lehman] saw it. It was right next to him. I was hoping it was a rally snake, and we pushed some runs across after that."
FOX Sports’ play-by-play announcer Joe Davis couldn’t resist a quip, calling it “the latest Hollywood hit: ‘Snake in the Dugout,’” as the cameras zoomed in on the Dodgers’ newest — and most bizarre — visitor.
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A quick-thinking Dodgers grounds crew member swooped in, bundling the snake in a towel and carrying it off the field, putting an end to the unusual interruption. But for the Dodgers, this was far more than just a strange coincidence. It was the kind of wild moment that postseason baseball is known for, the type of thing that turns into legend. We’ve seen rally squirrels, rally geese, and now, perhaps, the rally snake?
For Honeywell, though, this wasn’t his first encounter with a reptile in baseball. Back in 2015, as a Rays prospect, he found himself face-to-face with a 10-foot alligator in a dugout. So maybe, just maybe, he has a knack for attracting the unexpected.
A snake is nothing for Brent Honeywell. He once spotted a 10-foot gator in the dugout (true story)https://t.co/UoRJHY1W6j https://t.co/P9FDCXwxAh pic.twitter.com/HfXlhbd0Il
— Benjamin Hill (@bensbiz) October 14, 2024
“Just something to get the boys moving a little different than everybody else," said Honeywell of seeing the snake.
Perhaps there’s something to be said about the Dodgers needing a little wild energy in their dugout. After all, the postseason thrives on chaos, on moments that seem too ridiculous to be scripted. In 2011, the Cardinals rallied behind a squirrel scampering across home plate, and in 2022, the Padres found inspiration in a goose that landed in the outfield during their own playoff run against the Dodgers. Maybe this snake will be the Dodgers' answer.
As for the game, the snake didn’t seem to shake the Dodgers much, but its sudden appearance definitely added a little spice to what was already a tense, high-stakes series.
The Dodgers were trailing in the game, 6-0, when Honeywell saw the snake, and were able to scratch three runs across to make it close, they ultimately lost the game 7-3, to level their best-of-seven series with the Mets at a game apiece.
It’s moments like this that remind us why October baseball is unlike any other.
A snake in the dugout? Just another chapter in the unpredictable, unscripted drama of the MLB playoffs.
