Yet it seemed the Sox couldn't rest peacefully with their new-found good fortune. As they had squandered away the historically INSURMOUNTABLE 14-game lead, the team almost gave away yesterday afternoon's win.

The nothing-less-than-incredible Yankees arose for a last stand in the bottom of the eighth, aided by two embarrassing errors from third baseman Butch Hobson and second baseman Jerry Remy.

To Err is Human

With Willie Randolph at first, Hobson fielded a Thurman Munson sizzler and misfired the ball into centerfield in his haste to turn the double play. Remy then let a Reggie Jackson dribbler squirt through his legs, and the aggressive-running Bombers had tallied twice to close the gap to 6-3. But Jackson was cut down trying to stretch the Remy error into a double, and reliever Bob Stanley fanned Chris Chambliss to quash the rebellion.

Those errors, too common of late, marred an otherwise solid day from the Sox, both at bat and in the field. Dennis Eckersley and Stanley combined for a strong pitching performance, and the seven Sox runs halted a pitiful silence from the Boston bats.

Rick Burleson got the Sox going in the third with a single and a stolen base. He then scored as 39-year-old Carl Yastrzemski popped a single into left-center with two out.

Dwight Evans singled in the fifth and moved to second on a Burleson sacrifice. Evans then came home on a Remy single. The same threesome teamed up in the seventh to bring Evans home again for a 3-0 lead before the Scott-sparked, eighth-inning breaker.

The victory raised Eckersley's record to 17-8, 4-1 against New York this year. The loss, hung on Yankee Jim Beattie, dropped his record to 5-8, 1-3 against Boston.

Dreaming

Yet there was something about yesterday's win that just had to make you wonder if the Boston nightmare really is over.

The Yankees seemed to be coasting through the Sunday afternoon game, almost satisfied with the destruction they had already performed on New England hearts and souls. There was no determination in Munson's swing, no spark in Randolph's steps. Rich Gossage rested, and the New Yorkers almost loafed.

But at least now there's a chance for a real race. The Sox are 2 1/2 back with 14 games to play. And don't forget the hot-hitting Brewers, just 5 1/2 back despite yesterday's 4-3 loss to the Twins.

The next few days will be crucial, although the rejuvenated New York Wrecking Crew is certainly in the driver's seat. Both New York and Boston move on to tough territory as the Yankees battle Milwaukee twice while the Sox take on Detroit four times.

Yesterday's win may have comforted some Red Sox spirits, but the question now is can the Sox awaken from their horrifying daze and recoup to last out a pennant drive?

The indescribable Yastrzemski seemed to be saying "yes" when he popped a ninth-inning homer, his 14th of the year, to close the scoring for the game; but the memory of the "pinstriped plague" that devasted Boston has to sour sweet old Fenway's pennant dreams.