Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox outfielder Ceddanne Rafaela (3) hits a two-run home run to win the game against the Tampa Bay Rays in the ninth inning at Fenway Park. David Butler II-Imagn Images

Boston Red Sox Announcer Dave O'Brien Goes Wild For Ceddanne Rafaela Walk-Off HR

Originally posted on Fastball on SI | By Sam Connon | Last updated Jul 12, 2025 12:31 PM ET

The fans in the stands at Fenway Park weren't the only ones who got sent into a frenzy Friday night.

With one out in the bottom of the ninth inning, the Boston Red Sox trailed the Tampa Bay Rays 4-3. Ceddanne Rafaela stepped up to the plate with a man on first and proceeded to flip the scoreboard in the most explosive way possible.

Rafaela crushed a fly ball to left that cleared the Green Monster, extending Boston's winning streak to eight games in the process. Before Rafaela rounded the bases, the crowd was bouncing, and the energy infested the NESN broadcast booth as well.

"Swing and a drive – oh!!!" O'Brien yelled. "He killed it! It is outta here! It's gone!"

Beyond the immediate reaction, O'Brien stayed juiced as he continued to wax poetic about the walk-off home run.

"Ceddanne does it," O'Brien said. "The Sox win it. They walk it off against Tampa Bay. Are you kidding me? That is the sound of eight straight at Fenway."

"CEDDANNE DOES IT. THE SOX WIN IT. THEY WALK IT OFF AGAINST TAMPA BAY. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? THAT IS THE SOUND OF EIGHT STRAIGHT AT FENWAY."

Dave O'Brien calls Ceddanne Rafaela's walk-off homer to give the Red Sox a 5-4 win over the Rays.pic.twitter.com/WU9cpSU3XU
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) July 12, 2025

O'Brien has seen his fair share of clutch moments at Fenway Park over the years, calling Red Sox games on the radio from 2007 through 2015 before taking on the NESN job in 2016. Friday night marked one of his more iconic calls, though, even though it was for a regular season game in July.

Rafaela, who is batting .331 with a 1.017 OPS since Memorial Day, single-handedly sparked that moment.

The Red Sox will try to carry the momentum into their Saturday showdown with the Rays, which is their second-to-last contest before the All-Star break.

This article first appeared on Fastball on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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