Apr 20, 2014; Boston, MA, USA; Members of the Baltimore Orioles pay tribute to the Boston Marathon bombing one year anniversary as part of pre game ceremonies in a game against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
BOSTON — Jonny Gomes called it a “tear-jerker.” Mike Carp said he got a “choked-up feeling.”
On the eve of the Boston Marathon, the Red Sox paid tribute to the victims and honored the survivors of last year’s tragic bombings with an emotional pregame ceremony that preceded a stirring 6-5 comeback victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday night at Fenway Park.
“Another emotional roller coaster here at Fenway, tear-jerker there for a minute,” said Gomes, the left fielder who started the Red Sox’s rally with a three-run homer in the sixth inning and then watched as Dustin Pedroia pinballed back to third base before scoring on a throwing error by Orioles left fielder David Lough in the ninth on Carp’s pinch-hit line drive.
“It really sunk home how much healing is still going on, a year down the road, and how important it is for us as Red Sox to help the healing.”
It was reminscent of everything that was good at Fenway last season in the weeks and months that followed that dark day on Boylston Street. The Red Sox had 11 walkoff wins en route to making the playoffs, winning the World Series and helping to boost a city that just wanted to feel good again.
Among the most poignant moments of the ceremony came when relatives of Lingzi Lu, one of the four victims of the Marathon attacks, appeared behind home plate to declare, “Play Ball!” They came all the way from China to mourn Lingzi’s death this week, and Sunday night marked their first trip to Fenway.
“I got that choked-up feeling on a lot of points during that,” Carp said. “It was a special day for a lot of people.”
