Photo: Michael Ivins/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images
The Boston Red Sox took down the Chicago White Sox 4-2 Monday, giving them a much-needed series win over one of MLB’s worst teams. Boston starter Walker Buehler dealt all day, going seven full innings with nine strikeouts en route to his third win in a row.
Today’s 11:00 a.m. start time did not make a difference on one of the most memorable days in Boston’s storied history.
12 years ago on Patriots’ Day, Boston’s holiday to celebrate the running of the Boston Marathon, two self-radicalized brothers from Chechnya, Russia carried out a terrorist attack on the path of the race.
Tragically, their plan worked, and explosives detonated along the raceway. Over 250 people were injured as a result and three lost their lives. Among them was nine year-old Martin Richard of Dorchester. These losses were detrimental for the city, and the entire country came together to mourn those that were injured and lost in the attack.
Since then, Patriots’ Day in Boston has a somber undertone every day of the race, but Bostonians all over will never forget the lowest of lows, as well as the highest of highs that the Red Sox organization was able to give the city in a time of need.
Since the attack, every Marathon Monday game has seen the Red Sox dawn the iconic “Boston” jersey that David Ortiz wore as he gave a speech to the Fenway Park crowd on April 20, 2013.
“This jersey that we wear today, it doesn’t say ‘Red Sox’, it says ‘Boston’,” Ortiz said to an emotional crowd.
Later that season, a rag-tag Red Sox team scratched and clawed their way to a World Series championship, riding through the postseason with the resilience of Boston being evident every game. Most say that the tragedy the city suffered in April brought the team together, allowing an unlikely squad to defeat the St. Louis Cardinals four games to two with an iconic post-victory celebration at Fenway Park.
This resilience is as strong as ever in Boston.
Every Marathon Monday, the Fenway Faithful packs to full capacity in hopes that their team, and city, will come out on top in a day that will live forever in infamy in the city.
