Take a gander: Goose flies onto field during Dodgers-Padres playoff game

LOS ANGELES — Talk about a fowl ball.

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A goose flew onto the field during the eighth inning of Wednesday night’s National League Divisional Series game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres.

It was an appropriate sign for the Dodgers, who lost 5-3 in Game 2 to even the series at one game apiece. According to the Los Angeles Times, the Dodgers “laid goose eggs after the third inning.”

The bird flew into Dodger Stadium and landed in shallow right field with two outs in the eighth inning, The Associated Press reported. It sat on the grass as Gavin Lux of the Dodgers singled to right, but then the goose was on the loose as members of the Dodger Stadium grounds crew attempted to corral the bird.

The goose took flight again and landed behind home plate, and then avoided the grounds crew by flapping toward third base. Crew members finally caught the bird, covering it with a towel as fans booed. The bird was safely removed from the field in a trash can, the Times reported.

“That was pretty gnarly,” Padres slugger Manny Machado said. “Just didn’t want to hurt him. I think he was hurt when he landed so I didn’t like seeing that, but I guess it was good luck for us.”

Dodgers fans, who had little to cheer about during the Padres’ 5-3 victory, howled with delight. The internet was filled with goose and duck jokes, and fans chanted, “duck, duck, duck.”

The Los Angeles Audubon Society tweeted that the bird was a greater white-fronted goose.

“Bright lights can disorient birds that migrate at night, which this species does,” the organization tweeted.

A spokesperson for the Dodgers told KTLA-TV that the goose appeared to be unharmed and flew away after its release.

The last time a goose caused this much of a flap at Dodger Stadium was in the 1981 World Series, when Rich “Goose” Gossage was a star reliever for the Yankees and saved the first two games for New York. However, Gossage only made one appearance at Dodger Stadium, pitching one inning in relief during Game 5 in a contest won by the Dodgers.

The Padres may view the wayward goose as a good omen, since Gossage pitched for San Diego in 1984 during their first run to the World Series.

Meanwhile, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Tony Gonsolin, who is nicknamed Goose, will start Game 3 on Friday in San Diego, according to the AP. However, Gonsolin prefers cats.

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