Early in the song, instead of singing "at the twilight's last gleaming" he sang "were so gallantly streaming." He repeated the "were so gallantly streaming" line moments later and seemed not to notice his mistake, although some of the players seem to have caught it, if the TV broadcast was any indication.

Lewis soon took to his official website to apologize for the error. "All I can say is I'm sorry and ask for the Nation's forgiveness," he wrote. "My nerves got the best of me and I am completely torn up about what happened. America is the greatest country in the world. The Star-Spangled Banner means so much to so many, including myself. I hope everyone can understand the intensity of the situation and my true intent of this performance. I hope that the Nation, Major League Baseball and the many fans of our national pastime can forgive me."