The rain had interrupted things in the middle of the sixth inning and lasted almost an hour and three-quarters. It seemed to come out of nowhere, drenching the field as the grounds crew scurried to get the infield covered by the tarp.
For a while, most fans who had been exposed to the torrential downpour sought cover on the concourses and under Fenway Park's protective overhang, but as the delay dragged on, and this being a weeknight, most eventually gave up, with the game between the Astros and Red Sox tied at 2-2.
By the time play resumed, it was closing in on 11 p.m. and the stout fans who had braved the elements and the delay were, shall we say, spirited, having apparently occupied themselves with the purchase of more than a few adult beverages.
A few thousand fans -- if that -- remained when play resumed, and as often happens in such scenarios, their every word could be heard around the ballpark. Some sang along to the music, some angled to get themselves onto the video board.
You could hear some trash talk directed at the Astros, Jose Altuve and Alex Bregman, the 2017 leftovers and franchise standard-bearers. But the most vocal and discernible commentary came in the eighth inning, as the Sox were taking the lead, for good, over Houston. What began as the chant of a few soon spread throughout the lower bowl of the ballpark.
"Re-sign Xander! ... Re-sign Xander!'' came the cries.
It was something of a throwback moment. These days, social media is where sports fans with a cause or a hot take go to have themselves be heard. But as commonplace as that is, the intended target often isn't aware of the sentiments being expressed. Or if they are, they're not likely to admit it.
There was no mistaking this campaign, however. As Xander Bogaerts stepped into the batter's box against Houston reliever Hector Neris, the shortstop heard the fans, and so did his manager. How could they not?
"Yeah, I heard it,'' said Bogaerts after the Sox had bested the Astros, 6-3. "I mean if I struck out, it wouldn't have helped my cause.''
Of course, Bogaerts did not strike out. He connected on a pitch from Neris and drove it into the Monster Seats, scoring J.D. Martinez ahead of him, and pleasing the fans to no end.
It was like "Special Request Night" at the ballpark. With a relatively intimate gathering, you could hear what the masses wanted. Then, in a bit of instant gratification, the hero delivered, just like that.
"You always feel the love and appreciation around here,'' said Bogaerts, referring, one presumes, to the fans if not necessarily management and ownership.
"It's been fun. A lot of rain, you don't even know how many people are going to be sticking around to see if the game is going to (continue). I mean, I heard it. I just said (to myself), 'Listen, brother, don't strike out. Put it in play, see what happens, don't just strike out.''
And so he did, turning what had been a tenuous one-run lead against the defending American League champions into a far roomier three-run cushion.
The homer -- and the unscripted bit of support from the stands -- came a day after Bogaerts told the Boston Globe he was amending his policy, at least somewhat, when it comes to in-season contractual negotiations. After previously stating at the start of the season that he wouldn't entertain talks during the year and would figure things out after the season concluded, Bogaerts allowed that if the Sox approached his agent Scott Boras and Boras thought the offer was worth relaying to his client, then, yes, he would consider re-starting talks.
To some, that might be a surprising stance. After all, the last Red Sox offer to Bogaerts was reported to include the tacking on of one more season at $30 million -- hardly the kind of proposal that would get a star player's attention. To the contrary, some around the game considered it a major misstep by the Red Sox, designed to cover themselves in the court of public opinion, but without a lot of sincerity attached -- to say nothing of not at all reflecting Bogaerts' value.
His manager, Alex Cora, heard the chants, because how he could not. But he also attempted to downplay their significance.
"I don't think that changes (anything),'' said Cora. "He's not the first guy in this situation. From my end, he's the shortstop, he plays every day, he posts and he's a good player.''
The chatter, for however much the organization might wish otherwise, is unlikely to go away. If the team continues on its current track, calls to retain Bogaerts (and teammate Rafael Devers, a year from free agency) will become the fans' cause celebre. It's not as if there will be much of anything -- or anyone -- else for which to root.
Meanwhile, if the team manages to battle its way back into contention, it will likely be because of the production from players like Bogaerts and Devers, who can improve their own market value while strengthening their case.
However disappointed they might be with the performance of the team in general, it's clear that Bogaerts remains a clear fan favorite.
You couldn't ignore the evidence Monday night. Can ownership?