BOSTON — The scores — 7-6, 7-5, 7-6 — looked like something from a classic Wimbledon final. What they were, actually, were evidence of a weekend in which the Yankees and Red Sox crammed so many oddities, twists and turns and story angles into Fenway Park that it’s a miracle the place didn’t spontaneously combust.

Really, how much can one April series offer? Only everything, apparently.

Terry Francona, feeling every bit of his 48 years on his birthday, was asked whether he could handle another 15 of these head-to-head tugs of war.

“Gonna have to,” said Francona with a weary smile. “They’re always exciting. They’re more exciting when you win. But they’re never easy.”

The Red Sox swept the set, but just barely. They won Friday in a comeback. They won Saturday with the potential tying run at the plate and Alex Rodriguez salivating in the on-deck circle. And they capped the series last night by winning every which way they could.

First, they terminated rookie Chase Wright with extreme prejudice, launching four consecutive homers, each one hit seemingly hit farther than the last until they had injected themselves straight into the record books.

The middle of the Red Sox batting order — Manny Ramirez, J.D. Drew, Mike Lowell and Jason Varitek — lit up the Boston skyline like the Charles River on July 4th.

“Nothing should surprise you in this game,” said Yankee manager Joe Torre, “Especially when you come up here and play this club or they come to us.”

It was though the Boston lineup was, in one inning, trying to make amends for the lack of support offered in Daisuke Matsuzaka’s previous two starts.

After some see-saws of momentum and a few more lead changes, it ended as it had to: with Jonathan Papelbon on the mound and Rodriguez at the plate, the exclamation point on the weekend and proof that these games are destined to go right down to the very last at-bat.

When Rodriguez bounced harmlessly to the Lowell, the night’s offensive hero with two homers and five RBI, it was finally, mercifully, over.

“When we play, ‘’ said Francona, “each game is like a bunch of games.”

Daisuke Matsuzaka earned his second win in four starts in his least impressive outing to date. Dustin Pedroia busted out with two hits to inch closer to the Mendoza line (.194), but his biggest contribution came when he fully extended himself to snare a low pea hit by Josh Phelps.

“He willed himself to catch that ball,” said Francona in obvious admiration.

After Rodriguez’ fielder’s choice, reality set in and Fenway collectively exhaled.

“I love this atmosphere,” said Lowell. “It gets a little overdone with the hype. I mean, this is April 22. But it’s definitely a different atmosphere in the ballpark when these two teams go at it. You have to enjoy it.”

That’s a challenge for the players. For the paying customers, it’s almost unimaginable.

“For the fans of either side,” Lowell said, “it’s like the end of the world.”

It may only be April, but try telling that to Joe Torre, who managed most of the weekend with an air of desperation.

On Friday, he summoned Mariano Rivera with five outs to go, contradicting an edict he had made in spring training.

Saturday, he had his team bunting in the second inning of a 2-2 game, albeit unsuccessfully. And last night, for the second time in 17 games, he brought in Andy Pettitte because he had no one else to get him through some middle innings.

Later, he called upon Scott Proctor, who might steal “Everyday” Eddie Guardado’s nickname if it were a little more alliterative. In 17 Yankee games, Proctor has already made 11 appearances.

By the bottom of the eighth, Torre had so depleted his bench that Phelps was forced behind the plate for the first time in six seasons.

Step back from the 72 hours of baseball and what’s left?

The Sox’ sweep may be devalued because the Yankees were operating at far less than full strength. In future series, Hideki Matsui, Mike Mussina and Chien-Ming Wang will be part of the roster; Chase Wright and Kevin Thompson, most likely, will not.

“This,” concluded Pedroia, “was really intense. They’re banged up and you want to do everything you can to beat them when they’re like that because you never know when it’s going to be us (shorthanded).”

For now: Advantage, Red Sox.

smcadam@projo.com