No question about it, I wanted to be a fan for this one.

A Saturday afternoon game, Cap Day, Roger Clemens on the hill…and a pair of family tickets in my hand. I ran up to the Bronx early today with my buddy and occasional contributer to this blog, the Sultan, for a pre-game meal, a drink or two and the Yankees-Pirates game. Sure, the tickets were worth money on Craigslist, and I had even gone as far as to reserve a seat in press row for the game…but in the end this one was too much fun to pass up.

We got to the Bronx at 11:45 and headed over to the Feeding Tree (a Jamaican restaurant two blocks from the Stadium on Gerard Avenue). Sultan ordered the curried goat and I had the jerk chicken which we both washed down with a couple of Red Stripes…the food was so good that we also got chicken patties for mid-game snacks ($1.40 each). A Red Stripe, jerk chicken and a chicken patty? Already I was ahead of those eating in the press dining room.

We made our way to the seats in the Tier MVP area between first and home for a great profile view of the pitcher-batter encounter. Sure there are “better seats” in the Stadium, but I’ll take the elevated profile any time.

After finding the one vendor that didn’t sell light beer in our area (Beck’s stand outside gate 13 in the Tier section), we grabbed a couple brews and buckled in to watch the game. Both Sultan and I traded guesses on how the Yankees would introduce Clemens for his return: video highlights, special announcement…having the ground open under the mound while he’s elevated to the field on a platform with a smoke machine working overtime… No. None of that. He just strolled out there after the national anthem and began warming up.

Now, I’ve already read ESPN.com’s recap of the game that claimed it was a playoff atmosphere in the Bronx to greet the Rocket. That was hardly the case. There was some warm applause and general excitement, but that hardly passes for a playoff game at Yankee Stadium…maybe in Kansas City, but not in New York.

Clemens went out there and did what everyone thought he would — went five or six innings (six) and gave up a few runs (three) while striking out a handful (seven). Not bad for an old man. The rest of the Yankees did their part as the knocked out eleven hits and kept the pressure on the Pirates pitching with five stolen bases. They also manufactured two runs via a pair of sac flies.

See what you can do without Jason Giambi in your lineup?

The game went as planned as Clemens left with the lead to sound of Elton John’s “Rocket Man” and Brian Bruney, Kyle Farnsworth and Luis Vizcaino combined for three scoreless innings. The Yankees have now won five in a row.

Not a bad day to sit in the stands in the Bronx.