SPORTS

Funny how much difference a week or so can make. Eight days ago the universe-leading Red Sox were sighted somewhere on the far side of Mars, tooling for the World Series with all engines on full; now it looks like they might have been sold some bad liquid hydrogen by the shady character who runs the NASA-surplus parts shop down at Cape Canaveral. The thrust just isn't there. The Bosox have now lost seven of their last eight games, and their once-astronomical division lead has shrunk to a mere five-and-a-half games over the streaking Brewers, and a rapidly diminishing eight over the Lemon-fresh Yankees. The Guinness Book of World Records is rumored to be preparing an entry for "Greatest Choke."

Don Zimmer's steely crew isn't about to let it go to their heads, though, as they prepare for a crucial home stand. The locals will face the always-tough K.C. Royals, who swept them last weekend, at Fenway today, tormorrow and for a doubleheader on Sunday, but you'd better stick to the tube, 'cause this series has been sold out for quite a while. There should be some seats left for the two-game stint against the rapidly faltering Chicago White Sox on Monday and Tuesday, because the way the Pale Hose have been playing lately they couldn't draw a full house if Wilbur Wood promised to arrive on the mound in a sleigh pulled by eight tiny reindeer. Of course, given the level of bloodlust in Boston lately, there may well be a big crowd.

But for some genuine blood, you should definitely park yourself in front of the tube for the three-game series between the Yanks and Bosox, broadcast live from the beautiful Bronx on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. This could well mean the season, or at least a couple of broken bones--the blood between these two teams may well be bad, but it's usually pretty much in evidence.

Boston's other division-leading squad, the Lobsters, won't be back home at Walter Brown Arena until Sunday, when they get to sink their claws into the Los Angeles Strings. No problem there, but the net-happy crustaceans had better stoke up on their drawn butter before facing red-hot Vitas ("Not a Social Disease") Gerulaitis, Billie Jean King and the rest of the New York Apples at home on Monday. The netpeople will get a rest after that, facing only lowly Seattle at home on Wednesday before heading down to Gotham for another match with the New Yorkers.

More devoted types might want to head out to Schaefer Stadium early next week to watch the Tea Men, currently fighting for second place in the American Conference of the North American Soccer League, do battle with somnambulent Tulsa (on Sunday) and Detroit (on Wednesday). The Detroit tilt will be the next-to-last game of the season for the booters, and a lot should be on the line--a favored spot for the playoffs, Mike Flanigan's chances of edging New York Cosmo Giorgio Chinaglia for the league scoring crown, and lots of pride. But we suspect the Yankee-Red Sox clash on the tube might draw a bit more attention, even with all those commercials.