Actually, it was more like watching an important game become a laugher in your living room with 34,526 of your closest friends.

The game was over when Garciaparra hommered in the second. The game was a blowout when Millar homered in the fourth. In the fifth, I left my seat to find someone (those familar to SOSH, I met RoughCarrigan and FoxinSox), and we stood up in the SRO section behind the Red Sox on deck circle.

Now, normally I wouldn’t bore you with such trival details, except one of the cooler things happend during this excursion. Jocelyne, my girlfriend, heard someone from the street yell, “Let’s go Sox!” Thinking it was just some fan, she looked down. And saw Boston starter Derek Lowe.

It was cool, there was Derek Lowe standing 3 stories below us in the player’s parking lot, on a cell phone, wearing the red undershirt and two bags of ice on, and he was feeling the crowd. A few minutes later, I yelled down “Good game Lowe!”. He acknowledged with a fist pump and a point. It was the first time a major league baseball player gave me something rather then the finger (I hate you Jack McDowell and Tony Phillips).

So here is my point. I feel differently about the Red Sox this year. I honestly don’t think they are going to win the World Series, in fact, it would be tough for them to make it by Oakland in the first round. I love this team this year though. It’s a group of guys that genuinely love the game of baseball, and everyone (even Manny, Shaughnessy/Mazzeroti/Satan) seems to love the city and fans. And I love them for it.

There were three more chill moments in the game itself. The first was in the eighth inning, Bill Mueller, who was one of only two Red Sox starters still in the game, got a standing ovation his entire at bat. I honestly don’t care if he wins the batting crown, but it would be probably the most unexpected crown in a while.

The second was the top of the ninth, when the new Boston pitcher was announced…Ramiro Mendoza. Also got a standing ovation. Actually the hardest I’ve ever cheered for a Yankee.

Lastly, on the Auxillary Scoreboard, there was a countdown to clinching. When Mendoza threw a curve that was called strike three on Brian Roberts, and the number hit 0. Right then, The Standell’s Dirty Water played. I’ve never been happier surrounded by 34,000 people I don’t know.

After three exhibition games against the Devil Rays, the Red Sox go to Oakland. Pedro Martinez vs. Tim Hudson.