T U C S O N, Ariz., March 26, 2001 -- A pitch by Randy Johnson hit and killed a dove flying in front of home plate.

The lethal pitch came during the seventh inning of the Arizona Diamondbacks' 10-5 victory against the San Francisco Giants on Saturday.

The bird flew over the catcher Rod Barajas' head and landed a few feet from the plate amid a sea of feathers.

"I'm sitting there waiting for it, and I'm expecting to catch the thing, and all you see is an explosion," Barajas said. "It's crazy. There's still feathers down there."

Johnson, the NL Cy Young winner and perhaps the game's hardest thrower, was not amused.

"I didn't think it was all that funny," he said.

In 1983, Yankees outfielder Dave Winfield killed a seagull in Toronto with a warmup throw. Police charged him with animal cruelty, although the charge was later dropped.

"This was a little more dramatic," Arizona manager Bob Brenly said. "I can honestly say I have never seen that before."