Orlando Cepeda

Giants walk-off photo accidentally captures incredible Cepeda tribute

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NBC Universal, Inc. Giants’ Brett Wisely hits a game-winning, two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-3 at Oracle Park on Friday night.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but in the Giants' case Friday, it was two letters.

Beloved franchise icon and Hall of Famer Orlando Cepeda passed away Friday evening, but he still was part of the Giants' postgame celebration in an incredible way.

After San Francisco defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-3 Friday night on a Brett Wisely walk-off homer at Oracle Park, the rest of the team met Wisely at home plate to begin an emotional celebration.

As if the satisfaction of defeating their pesky rivals wasn't enough, a photo captured by Getty Images photographer Thearon W. Henderson displayed the magical moment that proved Cepeda was, in fact, there in spirit.

With the jumping and shouting came the unavoidable water bottle sprays, and as X user @carokell pointed out, the water droplets amazingly formed the letters "OC" just atop the team's celebration.

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 28: Brett Wisely #0 of the San Francisco Giants celebrates with teammates after he hit a two-run walk-off home run to defeat the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-3 in the bottom of the ninth inning at Oracle Park on June 28, 2024 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

The Giants announced Cepeda's death in the middle of Friday's game, as Logan Webb was warming up to continue his outing.

For Webb, Giants manager Bob Melvin and the rest of the organization, the news weighed heavily on a team and city that still is mourning the death of baseball icon Willie Mays, who died earlier this month.

But as they planned to do for Mays, they honored Cepeda with a sweet, sweet victory Friday night.

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