Diamondbacks' Zac Gallen Accidentally Hits Bird with Baseball Before A's Game

Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Zac Gallen unintentionally hit and killed a bird with a baseball during warmups ahead of Wednesday's game against the Oakland Athletics at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum.

While warming up in the outfield ahead of Arizona's 5-3 win over Oakland, Gallen threw a curveball that hit and killed a bird in midflight.

"I don't really know what happened, honestly," Gallen said, per Josh Dubow of the Associated Press. "I just know that the ball changed directions really. I saw what happened. It's kind of a freak accident. It's unfortunate."

Former Diamondbacks pitcher Randy Johnson also famously hit and killed a bird during a spring training game in 2001. He tossed a pitch that collided with a bird flying across home plate in a matchup against the San Francisco Giants.

Gallen, 27, is having a solid season in Arizona, posting a 6-1 record with a 2.35 ERA, 0.85 WHIP and 70 strikeouts in 57.1 innings across nine starts.

The Diamondbacks sit second in the NL West with a 25-19 record, three games behind the first-place Los Angeles Dodgers.