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Watch: Diamondbacks involved in another bird-related tragedy
Birds congregate on the baseline Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

Watch: Diamondbacks involved in another bird-related tragedy

Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Zac Gallen has something in common with Hall of Famer Randy Johnson. They are both bird murderers. 

Throwing a side session Wednesday ahead of his team's contest with the Oakland Athletics, Gallen brought down a poor, unsuspecting bird with a curveball. 

The unfortunate incident comes nearly 22 years after Johnson's bird run-in. However, while Johnson's bird homicide scarred spectators for life during a spring training tilt, Gallen's incident Wednesday would've gone largely unseen at the empty Oakland Coliseum without the cameras from Bally Sports Arizona.

Only a few weeks ago, the Diamondbacks paid tribute to the bird fallen by Johnson. After Wednesday's tragic event, the team has another sad, bird-related anniversary to celebrate. 

Hopefully, Gallen isn't too shaken by the bird's passing and he can focus on his next start Friday, on the road against the Pittsburgh Pirates. 

Gallen's fifth season in Arizona is off to a stellar beginning. So far, he's 6-1 through nine outings with a 2.35 ERA, second in the National League behind Atlanta Braves' Bryce Elder (1.94) and San Francisco Giants' Alex Cobb (1.94).

The 27-year-old has earned wins in six of his last seven starts and is coming off his longest outing of the season, pitching 7 2/3 innings in a 7-2 win over the Giants.

Mike Santa Barbara

Mike Santa Barbara is a Wilmington, Delaware native (Yes, it's a real place) with over a decade of sports writing experience. A diehard Philadelphia sports fan, he has two dogs named after Flyers and cried real tears when the Eagles won Super Bowl LII. You can follow him on Twitter at @mike__sb

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