A Boston Red Sox photographer took a baseball square in the balls on the ceremonial first pitch Wednesday night ... and it looked BAD.

It was just another night at Fenway with the Sox taking on the Cards ... until the PA announcer told the kid throwing the first pitch to "fire it in there!"

Young Jordan must have took "it" to mean a random guy's balls ... and the unlucky photog wide right of home plate paid the price -- taking it right in his manhood before limping away.

The dude who took the beanball seems alright, though ... using his own photo to joke about the nut-shot after the game: