Ceddanne Rafaela’s Reaction To Slick Play Made Gem Even Cooler

Operating smoothly on the baseball diamond comes naturally to Ceddanne Rafaela.

Rafaela on Tuesday night provided a web gem not often seen. In the fifth inning of the Red Sox’s blowout win over the Athletics at Fenway Park, the rookie scooped a tough hop off the bat of Miguel Andujar and threw a dart over to first base for the first out of the frame. And Rafaela managed to do so all while blowing a bubble.

The entertaining play drew an animated reaction from Red Sox Hall of Famer Jonathan Papelbon on NESN’s “Unobstructed Views” alt cast. But the man who actually made the play didn’t know what he pulled off until after the game.

“I don’t even realize it when I’m doing that,” Rafaela told reporters, per The Boston Globe.

Flashing the leather wasn’t the only way Rafaela made an impact in the series opener against Oakland. The 23-year-old also accounted for two of his team’s 13 hits, including an RBI triple in Boston’s eight-run second inning. Rafaela entered Wednesday only seven RBIs behind All-Star teammate Rafael Devers for the club lead.

Perhaps we will see more bubbles from Rafaela in the middle contest against the A’s. NESN’s complete coverage of the matchup begins at 6 p.m. ET.