A snake slithered through the Los Angeles Dodgers’ dugout during Game 2 of the National League Championship Series on Monday, sending a ripple of amusement and a hint of superstition through the stadium.
The reptile appeared in the top of the fifth inning of the Dodgers’ 7-3 loss to the New York Mets. It wasn’t big enough to put a scare into anyone, but the sight of a snake in a high-stakes playoff game was certainly unexpected.
"I was hoping it was a rally snake and we turned a rally around right after that," Dodgers reliever Brent Honeywell said. "But just something to get the boys moving a little different [after] everything else."
The snake was wrapped in a towel and removed by a member of the grounds crew, but the incident sparked a flurry of speculation about its significance. Was it a good luck charm or a bad omen?
Some fans drew parallels to the San Diego Padres' rally goose, which landed on the field at Dodger Stadium during another playoff game in 2022. The goose was widely celebrated as a good-luck charm for the Padres, who went on to win the division series against their rivals. Padres fans dubbed it the Rally Goose, a moniker that resonates with other sports fans familiar with the legend of the St. Louis Cardinals' Rally Squirrel, who scurried across home plate in the city in 2011 and caused a commotion. The Cardinals won that playoff series and the World Series afterward.
The snake, however, didn't have the same effect. While the Dodgers did begin scoring runs after its appearance, they ultimately lost the game.
The snake's presence also sparked a wave of playful commentary, with Fox play-by-play commentator Joe Davis quipping: “We’ve had ‘Snakes on a Plane’, ‘Snakes on a Train’ and the latest Hollywood hit: ‘Snake in the Dugout.’”
Social media was abuzz with speculation, with some wondering if Shohei Ohtani‘s former translator and inveterate gambler Ippei Mizuhara had returned to play a trick on the Dodgers.
But Honeywell remained unfazed, throwing two more scoreless innings. After all, he'd seen a far larger and more menacing reptile in a dugout.
“There was an 8- or 9-foot alligator in the dugout under the bench,” Honeywell told The Times. “It had rained a bunch. They just got him out of there. It crawled back in the water.”
The sight of a snake in the dugout on Monday was a reminder that the baseball world is a place where the unexpected can happen at any moment. And while the snake didn't bring the Dodgers luck this time, it provided a memorable moment that will surely be talked about for years to come.
The Snake's Impact: Did it Affect the Game?
The snake's appearance in the dugout sparked a brief rally for the Dodgers, with Max Muncy homering in the bottom of the fifth and Tommy Edman hitting a two-run single in the sixth to cut the deficit to 6-3.
However, the Mets ultimately closed out the game to win 7-3 and knot the best-of-seven series at one win apiece.
So, did the snake have any impact on the game's outcome?
It's impossible to say for sure. The Dodgers were already facing a difficult task against the Mets, and the snake's appearance may have been nothing more than a bizarre coincidence.
But as fans, we're always looking for a sign, an omen, anything that might give us an edge. And in the world of baseball, where superstitions run rampant, a snake in the dugout is certainly enough to get people talking.
Was it a Sign?
If that's the case, the Dodgers may still have a chance to turn things around in this series.
However, the snake's appearance may also be a reminder that things don't always go as planned. The Dodgers, despite entering the series with a dominant record, found themselves trailing after Game 2.
Only time will tell if the snake's appearance was a sign of good luck or bad luck for the Dodgers.
The Snake's Legacy
Regardless of the snake's impact on the outcome of the game, one thing is certain: the Dodgers' snake will be a part of baseball lore for years to come.
This is a story that will be told and retold in the Dodger Stadium hallways and around water coolers across the country.
And in the end, perhaps that's all that matters. The snake may have been just a fleeting moment, but it provided us with a story that we'll never forget.
