A squirrel on the loose at Comerica Park steals the show during Orioles-Tigers

DETROIT — Jackson Holliday had four hits. Coby Mayo crushed a two-run home run. The Orioles produced one of their best offensive showings of the season in an 8-5 win.

The real star at Comerica Park in Detroit on Monday night was a black squirrel who paraded around the field for the better part of two innings.

At one point, Orioles third-base coach Buck Britton took a sunflower seed out of his mouth and threw it at the squirrel to make sure the animal had a snack.

In the middle of the seventh, the squirrel led a throng of grounds crew members on a wild goose — er, squirrel — chase through right field.

Right fielder Leody Taveras tried to help. He even got his glove on the squirmy squirrel and accidentally flipped it into the air. As squirrels often do, the guy or gal landed on its feet, then began to dodge more grounds crew members.

Taveras said he wasn’t trying to flip the squirrel. But when the rascal ran toward him and jumped at his glove, Taveras said he, obviously, did not want to close his mitt.

“I just was trying to bring it up. I wasn’t trying to do that,” Taveras said with a laugh. “It didn’t go the way I wanted it to, but I hope that it’s good, it’s OK.”

Finally, a member of the grounds crew managed to toss a towel over the squirrel. He picked the animal up with the towel still on it and ran off the field.

A spokesperson for the Tigers said “our understanding is that the squirrel was in fine health after being removed from the field and released.”

As the grounds crew chased the squirrel, the crowd booed.

Before play resumed for the bottom of the seventh, home plate umpire Bill Miller made an announcement to the crowd.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I’d like to thank the grounds crew. Let’s give ’em a round of applause. The Detroit Tigers grounds crew, thank you!” Miller said.

Fans at the stadium, who began cheering “We love squirrels” in the ninth inning, booed some more.

“The whole squirrel thing was nuts,” manager Craig Albernaz said. “I mean, at one point I thought he was going to go into the batter’s box, see what was going on. He had a great view of the game. ... I had no idea Leody tried to glove-flip it, catch it, whatever in right field. I didn’t see that video until after the game. But, yeah, nice job Leody, yeah.”

Mayo, playing third base, said he checked over his shoulder a few times to make sure the squirrel hanging in shallow left field during the bottom of the sixth inning wasn’t running between his legs.

It was, in all, a comical scene.

“He was fast. Got his exercise in today,” Mayo said of the squirrel. “I’d love to know his step count for the day. But no, it’s funny, I think everyone got a good laugh out of it and the fans were even booing getting him off the field.

“I mean, I wanted, personally, for him to stay on the field,” Mayo continued. “It makes the game more interesting.”

This isn’t the first time a wily black squirrel has made an appearance at Comerica Park. Another one — or maybe even the same one — ran around the field on May 27, 2025.

At one point Monday night, a mourning dove was also standing on the warning track. Between Orioles and Tigers and squirrels and mourning doves, Comerica Park was practically a zoo.