Jackson Chourio found an unusual companion at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday. During Game 3 of the National League Championship Series, a praying mantis decided to make its home on the shoulder of the Milwaukee Brewers outfielder.
And, oddly enough, this little creature seemed rather unfazed by Chourio’s star status.
Television cameras captured the amusing moment when Chourio first spotted the green insect perched on his left shoulder. He tried to brush it off, but the mantis simply hopped over to his right shoulder, refusing to leave as the 22-year-old player attempted to shake it off.
Chourio couldn’t help but smile throughout the experience, leading to one of the lighter moments of the postseason.
Maybe the insect was just after a better view of the game. After all, Chourio certainly made an impact right away, smashing the first pitch thrown by Dodgers ace Blake Snell over the fence for a home run, giving Milwaukee an early 1-0 advantage. This marked Chourio’s sixth homer of the postseason, and he hasn’t even turned 23 yet.
It seems like even creatures like this mantis wanted to watch the action from the front row.
Strangely enough, baseball has seen its fair share of praying mantises. For instance, former Washington Nationals outfielder Victor Robles had a similar visit when one landed on his cap during a game, creating quite the memorable moment.
Chourio’s unexpected visitor truly picked an interesting scene to land on.
Prior to this game, the Brewers were in a strong position, leading the best-of-seven NLCS series 2-0, keen to avenge last October’s four-game sweep by the Dodgers.
Meanwhile, the Dodgers returned home needing a win to keep their hopes for a third consecutive World Series title alive.
