01:00 AM EDT on Wednesday, April 12, 2006

BY JOE McDONALD
Journal Sports Writer

BOSTON -- Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell learned very quickly what it feels like to have a home-field advantage, Red Sox-style.

The pair of former Florida Marlins stars who were acquired by Boston during the offseason got their first experience of having Fenway Park, and Red Sox Nation, on their side in the club's 5-3 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays in the home-opener.

The 35,491 in attendance warmly welcomed the pair of newcomers and the players reciprocated with solid performances on the mound and at the plate. Beckett improved to 2-0, allowing one run on three hits while walking four and striking out two in seven innings. Lowell went 4-for-4, including three doubles and a RBI.

"This felt like a playoff game when I was with the Marlins with that energy," said Lowell. "As a player, that's a good feeling. I don't know if you prepare any differently, but you feel differently and it's a nice feeling when you have such a passionate crowd rooting for you as a team."

Though Beckett finished strong, he struggled in the first inning. He tossed 36 pitches, surrendered a single and issued three free passes, walking in a run. Fortunately for the Sox, he was able to get Shea Hillenbrand to ground into a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning without any more damage.

As he walked off the field after that first inning, Beckett said, he was angry at himself. But he recovered and was outstanding the rest of the way.

He held Toronto scoreless from then on, retiring 18 of the final 21 batters he faced. When he needed help, the defense picked him up with a pair of crucial double plays.

"That's his personality," said Lowell. "He's such a competitor, I think he's a perfectionist some times. He wanted to destroy the dugout after the first inning. He gave up one run in first inning, and I'll take that. He was able to settle down and give us another quality start."

Lowell said he was just as fired up when he stepped into the batter's box. The Green Monster is only 310 feet from home, and if yesterday's 4-for-4 performance is any indication, the right-handed hitter should add plenty of dimples to the famed wall.

"That wall might take away a few home runs, but it's going to give you some hits," he said. "For me it's a great feeling. Sometimes you don't hit the ball well, you don't square it up as well as you had hoped, and you still get a hit. You feel like you're cheating, but the wall has been around for so many years, I'll take it. . . . That wall has driven a lot of people crazy because it's so close."

It wasn't just a two-man show yesterday. Kevin Youkilis had a pair of hits with an RBI, and David Ortiz chipped in with two hits, including his second home run of the season. After Beckett was finished for the day, Keith Foulke worked the eighth inning and allowed two runs on two hits, including a two-run homer by Frank Catalanotto that went off Wily Mo Pena's glove and over the right-field wall. If the ball didn't hit the outfielder's glove, it still would have been gone.

That set up Jonathan Papelbon's fourth save opportunity of the season, and he responded, mowing down the side in order in the ninth inning.

It was only one day, one game and it was Opening Day, but Lowell and Beckett both realized how electric the atmosphere at Fenway can ignite an individual's performance to help the club win.

"You can't really expect anything, especially coming from Florida," said Beckett. "Opening Day (with the Marlins) is the only day where it is like this. It was nice to have the fans behind me and chant my name. It was pretty cool."

Welcome to Fenway Park.

jmcdonal@projo.com / (401) 277-7340