Boston celebrates Red Sox win, remembers marathon bombings

One moment sums up the festivities in Boston on Saturday: Amid screams and cheering crowds dressed in red, the Red Sox’s Jonny Gomes carefully placed the gilded World Series Trophy on the finish line of the Boston Marathon, and draped over it a “Boston Strong 617” jersey.

Much like the day itself, the image -- shared hundreds of times on social media sites -- was bittersweet, as Bostonians celebrated the Red Sox World Series win and also reflected on the tragedy that rattled the city in April.

Three people were killed in the bombings at the Boston Marathon on April 15. More than 200 were injured. A police officer was later killed in a related shooting.

In a much needed pick-me-up, the Red Sox beat the St. Louis Cardinals at Fenway Park to win the World Series on Wednesday. The victory was the team’s third World Series title since 2004. The number of that special jersey -- 617 -- is a reference to the city’s area code.

So on Saturday, the streets were flooded with people cheering on the city’s baseball team. The parade began in Fenway Park, where Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick called the team’s success a “tremendous source of pride and excitement,” according to the Boston Globe. “It’s great for the city and it’s great for all of us.”

To the bombing survivors who were invited to the ceremony, he said, “Thank you for your strength,” the Globe reported.

From the park, a caravan of Red Sox players in duck boats drove through the city and ended up in the Charles River. Confetti fluttered through the air, fans screamed on the streets and held up colorful signs. Players waved and shouted back and some, like outfielder, Shane Victorino, sent out tweets.

The Red Sox gave a city wounded by the attacks a reason for celebration. Boston, though, didn’t use the win to forget what happened in April, but instead to remember.

Red Sox slugger David Ortiz, the series MVP, also got off a boat and walked the last bit of the marathon route. At the finish line, he shook hands with Colin Petty, owner of a sporting goods store. One of the two bombs was detonated right outside his shop.

Throughout the day, Twitter was filled with messages both remembering the bombings six months ago and also cheering on the Red Sox. The tweets all had one thing in common: Their city is Boston Strong.

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Twitter: @skarlamangla

soumya.karlamangla@latimes.com