Patriotism, Positivity the Theme of the Night at Fenway Park

BOSTON — To a man, the Red Sox felt that they did a number of things well in Monday's 9-5 win over the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. The positive vibe actually began hours earlier, when the team took part in pregame ceremonies that helped mark a historic turn of events for the United States.

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.