Ryan Dempster knew something was up when the motorcade escorting the Red Sox sped away.
He had just thrown seven strong innings and picked up a Patriots Day win against Tampa Bay on April 15, 2013. Between fans leaving the ballpark and people in town to watch the Boston Marathon, the area was packed with people.
It seemed like a routine postgame trip away from the ballpark on one of the most celebrated days on Boston’s sports calendar until word began to spread that two bombs went off at the marathon finish line.