PITTSBURGH -- Baseball in a black-and-gold town was awash in red, white and blue.

Where there was once a baseball rivalry, there was nothing but solidarity.

Monday was a night of patriotism toward a healing nation and good will among Pittsburghers toward New York, despite the Mets' 4-1 win. Click here for a game story.

At PNC Park, the Pirates gave away thousands of "I Love New York" buttons.

"We thought it was only fitting to come to the ballgame, we thought it was a fitting way to pay our respects to the people back in New York," said Fred Berrios of Gibsonia, Pa.

Video

Baseball's Back!

As the two teams stood along the baselines during a brief pregame ceremony featuring the national anthem and "God Bless America," managers Bobby Valentine and Lloyd McClendon hugged each other.

Numerous fans wore clothes with an American flag design, or wore red, white and blue ribbons or pins. The Pirates wanted to hand out U.S. flags, but could not get a delivery in time.

The fans gave the Mets a loud ovation before the game, cheered the good plays by both teams, and at least a half dozen brought signs supporting New York and its rescue workers.

They gave with their wallets, too -- the Pirates collected about $100,000 in fan contributions for the New York police and fire rescue fund, or about $10 for every fan.

The paid attendance was 25,902, but that included seats sold for the Mets-Pirates game that was postponed Sept. 11, the day of the attacks in New York. The Pirates estimated the actual attendance was about 10,000.

Baseball postponed games just hours after the attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon on Tuesday. In all, 91 games were called off, the most since World War I.

The Mets' game at Pittsburgh, originally to be played at New York, was shifted because Shea Stadium was still being used as a staging area for the rescue effort.

"It's hard, but we have a job to do," Mets pitcher John Franco said. "I don't know if it feels right, but we've got to get on with our lives. We're playing a game while people are being dug out and it's sad, but it's our job and we have to make the best of it."

Wearing caps honoring the New York fire fighters, police and rescue workers, plus American flags on their jerseys and hats, the Mets won their 18th in 23 games.

Amid heightened security, six games were played, all in the National League.

Security was tightened at every ballpark, with fans stopped from bringing coolers, backpacks and large bags into stadiums and cars prohibited from parking within 100 feet of the ballpark. There were also more police and security officers, along with bomb-sniffing dogs.