It's that time of year again! Metallica have always been a band that has stayed in touch with their roots, appreciating where they came from and never losing a grip on their local community. They have developed a tight bond with the hometown San Francisco Giants and once again took the field to perform the National Anthem yesterday (Aug. 7) at the fifth annual "Metallica Night."

It was a spirited performance that saw half of the band, James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett, standing between home plate and the pitcher's mound with a matching set of cabs that were branded with Giants-like Metallica lettering, the team's SF insignia and two orange stripes down the center to match their jerseys. The rendition saw Hetfield take the rhythm parts, occasionally breaking away to harmonize with Hammett, which added an extra feeling of glory to the anthem.

Fans got an extra dose of Hammett later in the night, who performed a solo version of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame." Rather than putting a metal spin on it, the six-stringer kept it traditional, playing a clean-toned version that found the crowd singing along by the end.

Drummer Lars Ulrich spent some time in the booth with the ESPN announcers during the nationally broadcast game, and also got in some time on the mound before the game while getting a chance to hang out in the dugout with the players as well. And bassist Robert Trujillo got the night started off right, announcing "Play ball" over the stadium PA system.

A wealth of social media postings from the band and the Giants have surfaced following the event, which also featured special Metallica-themed items being auctioned. Check out a sampling below.

Metallica's North American leg of the "WorldWired" tour is currently wrapping up, with Aug. 16 serving as the final date before heading over to Europe, where they have shows booked all the way into May of 2018. For a list of all upcoming dates, click here.

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