What started as a tense and competitive afternoon at Great American Ball Park turned unexpectedly memorable — not just for the action on the field, but for a moment in the broadcast booth that quickly caught attention across baseball circles. During Sunday’s matchup between the Cincinnati Reds and the San Diego Padres, Reds play-by-play announcer John Sadak had a miscall that’s now making the rounds for all the right reasons.
In the top of the fourth inning, Xander Bogaerts of the Padres stepped in and hit what looked like a routine fly ball to left field. His swing appeared soft, with little effort, leading Sadak to confidently describe it as being “looped to left” — a call that suggested an easy out was on the way.
But the ball had other plans.
To the surprise of Sadak, the outfield, and even the fans in attendance, the ball kept drifting deeper and deeper until it cleared the fence for a solo home run. The shot traveled an estimated 389 feet, leaving even Reds left fielder Gavin Lux fooled, as he originally tracked it like a playable fly before realizing it was long gone.
Sadak quickly corrected himself on-air, pivoting mid-sentence as the reality of the hit set in. While the mistake was minor, the timing and nature of the call struck a chord with fans online, many of whom found it amusing and refreshingly human. The moment has since gone viral, with clips of the broadcast shared widely across social media platforms.
Despite the home run, the Reds maintained their composure and went on to edge out the Padres, 3–2, thanks to strong pitching and timely hitting. Still, it was Sadak’s reaction — honest, spontaneous, and just a little awkward — that added an extra layer of charm to the broadcast.
In a game filled with unexpected twists, it wasn’t just Bogaerts’ surprising homer that stood out — it was the broadcast call that now has fans laughing, sharing, and remembering that sometimes the best moments in baseball are the ones nobody sees coming.
