An Alligator Was Denied Entrance To MLB Ballpark Wednesday Night
PHILADELPHIA - APRIL 18: A general view of Citizens Bank Park as the Philadelphia Phillies take on the Montreal Expos on April 18, 2004 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Phillies defeated the Expos 5-4. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
Baseball teams often hold promotional days welcoming dogs into the ballpark. That same leeway apparently doesn't apply to pet alligators.
Per The Philly Captain and sports radio host Howard Eskin, a fan allegedly tried to enter Citizens Bank Park with an alligator. The person considered the leashed reptile a service animal.
Unsurprisingly, the alligator wasn't permitted access to witness Wednesday night's game between the Philadelphia Phillies and Pittsburgh Pirates.
The alligator missed a great game.
A night after clinching a playoff spot, the Phillies rallied from a 5-0 deficit to pull off a 7-6 victory. Although multiple key starters (Trea Turner, Nick Castellanos, J.T. Realmuto, and Alec Bohm) received a night off, Bryce Harper stayed in the lineup and went 3-for-4 with two doubles, a steal, and a game-winning home run in the seventh inning.
Orion Kerkering, who began the season in Single-A, pitched a scoreless inning to record a win in his second career MLB outing. The newcomer could play a significant role in Philadelphia's bullpen this postseason.
The Phillies are locked into the National League's first wild-card spot, meaning they'll host a best-of-three series next week. They'd currently face the Arizona Diamondbacks, who have a two-game edge over the Chicago Cubs and Miami Marlins.
No alligators should be allowed into the premises when Philadelphia hosts Game 1 of the opening round next Tuesday.
