D-backs’ Zac Gallen accidentally kills bird with pregame throw

OAKLAND, California – Arizona Diamondbacks pitchers are striving to be like Randy Johnson.

Zac Gallen unintentionally came very close to impersonating the Hall of Famer.

While warming up in the outfield ahead of Arizona’s 5-3 win in Oakland on Wednesday, Gallen threw a curveball This hit a bird in mid-flight, apparently killing the animal.

“Honestly, I don’t really know what happened,” Gallen said. “All I know is that the ball actually changed direction. I saw what happened. It’s some kind of crazy accident. It’s sad.”

The throw was captured by cameras for Diamondbacks broadcaster Bally Sports Arizona.

Johnson infamously killed a bird during a spring practice game in 2001. While throwing a pitch against the San Francisco Giants, a bird crossed home plate and was destroyed by baseball.

Gallen was only 5 years old when this happened.

“I don’t remember that as a kid,” he said. “But I’ve seen the clip many times.”

Gallen’s incident came a day before the anniversary of Johnson delivering a perfect game for Arizona against the Atlanta Braves in 2004.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.