We knew things would be different for the Red Sox this season, but this first week of 2005 has been more than we could’ve imagined.

The first three days of the season were almost too wild to handle.

The Sox lost the first two, but escaped from New York with an improbable five-run rally against Mariano Rivera in the ninth inning.

If you’re a Red Sox fan, it’s good when the team beats the Yankees. It’s better when the team does it with a ninth-inning comeback off Rivera, and it’s best when the game-tying run scores on an A-Rod error.

All of the above happened Wednesday. Rivera blew his fourth straight save opportunity – all of them against the Sox (two in the ALCS, two more this week.)

Since Opening Day 2004, Rivera has converted 52 of 54 save opportunities against the rest of the A.L. Against the Red Sox, he has converted only three of nine chances. While he managed to get the win on Tuesday (after a blown save), he couldn’t even finish off the ninth yesterday. He was pulled after giving up four runs (a fifth would score later) on 38 pitches and two outs recorded.

It almost makes you want the Sox to trail by a run in the ninth next week when the Yanks come to Fenway. I can’t wait to hear Sox fans when Rivera comes out of the pen in the ninth.

After the wild win, some of the Sox managed to fly immediately to Boston for the World Premiere of the movie “Fever Pitch.” (Drew Barrymore’s character gets hit by a foul ball in the movie. If you’ve been watching any sports on TV over the past few weeks, you’ve seen that clip about 10,000 times by now.)

It was a bizarre scene to say the least. Barrymore and co-star Jimmy Fallon were on the red carpet that stretched along the foul side of the first-base line. So were Boston sports legends like Ray Bourque, Tom Brady and Doug Flutie. Then the Sox showed up – Tim Wakefield, Jason Varitek, Trot Nixon, Kevin Millar and David Ortiz. And, of course, Johnny Damon, who had already appeared on “Live with Regis and Kelly,” “Today,” and “Late Night with Conan O’Brian.” He’s been promoting his book, Idiot and managing to squeeze a little baseball in on the side.

There have been concerns that the Red Sox will be distracted this summer, caught up in the lingering afterglow of a championship we’ll never forget. It was easy to feel that way in Fort Myers, when television shows and magazines from around the world were jockeying for the times of the wild and crazy Curse breakers.

Now, we’re into the routine of the season, and it’s obvious the Sox are going to be fine. As soon as we get this week behind them.

Tomorrow’s the final hurdle. It’ll be a day of tears and joy. And, another look at the loveable idiots of 2004. The rings will be handed out, the stories will be told again, and then the Sox and Yanks will get it started one more time. By the end of the series, Curt Schilling will likely have pitched his first game of the year and Fenway will be back in business.

For me, the 2005 season began in earnest in the 27th inning of the season, when we were reminded just how much fun it is to watch this team. The Sox never quit, and kept plugging away at Rivera and the Yankees. They came back from the dead, and left New York with a win.

Just like last October.

Lewiston native Tom Caron covers the Red Sox for NESN.