By Jim Street / MLB.com

Eric LeBeau and Amanda Brown enjoy their Monster seats that were won on Redsox.com. (MLB photo)

Pregame batting practice is a virtual shooting gallery, with the likes of Manny Ramirez and Nomar Garciaparra pounding baseballs into the $50-apiece seats.

But Saturday wasn't one of those nights. An umbrella was more appropriate than a glove.

A steady drizzle wiped out BP for both the Red Sox and Athletics prior to Game 3 of the American League Division Series. But that didn't put a damper on the fans who climbed the stairs into heaven -- otherwise known as the Monster Seats at Fenway Park.

"This is an awesome view," said Joel Perlin after being ushered to his seat in section nine, row two, an observation quickly dittoed by his younger brother, Neil.

The Perlins grew up in the Boston area and attended numerous Red Sox games at Fenway. Neil still lives in Sharon, Mass., working as a commercial real estate appraiser. Joel now lives in Chicago and is the chief financial officer of a street-lighting company.

And boy is he lucky.

After the Red Sox clinched the Wild Card, Joel said he went surfing -- right to the Red Sox web site and noticed the "Monster Tickets!" promotion. He filled out an entry form -- along with about 300,000 other people -- and received word last Thursday (via email) that he won.

"I called my brother, told him I was coming to Boston for Game 3 and here we are," he said.

And they say Philadelphia is the City of Brotherly Love.

"I have had seats behind the first-base dugout, the third-base dugout and the bleachers," Joel said. "But nothing compares to this."

Joel was one of 150 winners who were allowed to buy two tickets to the game.

Amanda Brown of Attleboro, Mass., located about 45 minutes from Fenway, was another winner.

"My mom told me that they had this ticket thing on the Red Sox web site, so last Sunday I went online and filled it out," she said. "I checked me email the other day and there it was, I was a winner!"

As any terrific girlfriend would do, she immediately called her boyfriend, Eric LeBeau, from Pawtuckett, R.I.

"I sort of left a voice mail message that he needed to call me right away. He's a huge Red Sox fan."

No kidding. He showed up wearing a Red Sox baseball cap, a Red Sox sweatshirt and a Red Sox T-shirt.

"This is the third game we've seen together this season, but the first time we've been up here," she said. "I was going to get him some tickets for next season, but this is good enough for me."

They had seats in section seven, third row.

"We were really hoping they'd have batting practice," she added. "But that's okay. Just as long as they play the game."

Jim Street is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to approval by Major League baseball or its clubs.