In the wake of the killing of Osama bin Laden, the Sox and Angels stepped to their respective base lines and first observed a moment of silence for the victims of 9/11 and all those who have fought in the consequent wars.
With the first few notes of the Star Spangled Banner, a giant American flag was unfurled across the Green Monster. It was another reminder that as important as baseball is, especially in a town like Boston, it pales in comparison to what occurs on the front line.
"It was awesome. It was great to be a part of," second baseman Dustin Pedroia said. "Everyone saw what happened 10 years ago. It brings everybody together. It's special."
"It was a great ceremony to honor the troops that have done so much for us," added first baseman Adrian Gonzalez.
There were several troops sprinkled throughout Fenway Park, including a handful next to the Red Sox dugout. One gave David Ortiz a badge that he had worn overseas after Ortiz's second at-bat.
The slugger singled his next time up and then hit a two-run homer to cap a rally in the seventh, his first blast in a month.
"I think it was very nice," Ortiz said, referring to both the gesture and its results.
The same goes for the entire evening.
