NEW YORK - It’s not about quantity any more, pal. It’s about quality.

The Boston Red Sox may or may not “reverse the curse” when they open the World Series this weekend at Fenway Park. But their reverse sweep of the New York Yankees in the American League Championship Series will go a long way toward healing their 86 years of wounds.

The Red Sox have endured more than their share of heartbreaks, from the sale of Babe Ruth, the error of Bill Buckner, the homers of Bucky Dent and Aaron Boone, the lost trade for Alex Rodriguez. But what took place these past few days on the eastern corridor has changed how Bostonians feel about themselves, changed the pecking order of their one-up relationship with their Big Apple neighbors.

Just open your New York Post on Thursday, the Daily News. Check the headlines, the commentaries, the radiation fallout. See how many times the word “Choke” is presented in bold font. Count the “embarrassment” references, the heads on platters. Listen to the suicidal phone calls on the sports talk shows.

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The Yankees had never lost an ALCS, not since it was expanded to seven games in 1985. The Proud Pinstripes had won six postseason games in succession by the time they finished demolishing the Red Sox in Game 3 last Saturday. They rubbed the Red Sox faces in it many times over the years, including in Game 7 of the ALCS last year. They had become virtual “Daddies,” as Pedro Martinez suggested.

Now, Curt Schilling’s shoe is on the other foot. The Yankees are the tormented, not the tormentors.

“I don’t have words to describe how disappointing this is,” Rodriguez said afterwards. “We couldn’t put them away. It’s frustrating because we knew the team that won this game will win the World Series.”

Who knows? A-Rod might be a better baserunner than prognosticator — OK, maybe not. Perhaps the Red Sox won’t win a World Series for the first time since 1918, maybe they won’t completely exorcise the postseason poltergeists that swirl around Yawkey Way.

But frankly, as they cried, hugged and celebrated on the Yankee Stadium turf, with Frank Sinatra’s recording of New York, New York echoing awkwardly in the background, it’s difficult to say whether it matters.

“This has never happened before,” said Game 7 pitching hero Derek Lowe. “I really know (the Red Sox fans) are going to appreciate this. And I know the city appreciates how hard this was because this was the best team in baseball for a lot of years, and to win four in a row … and we had just lost by 11 runs … to come back. It’s hard to imagine.”

It’s hard to imagine the World Series could be anticlimactic for a team that has not won one in 86 years, but it’s hard to imagine it could measure up for these re-incarnated Red Sox. How do you top the authoritative victory at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday night? How would beating Houston or St. Louis compare with handing Those Damn Yankees one of the most humiliating defeats in major league history?

“We shocked the world,” said Boston first baseman Kevin Millar. “The Red Sox just won four in a row from the New York Yankees.”

ALCS RESULTS Red Sox win series 4-3 Winner Loser Game 1 Yankees 10 Red Sox 7 Game 2 Yankees 3 Red Sox 1 Game 3 Yankees 19 Red Sox 8 Game 4 Red Sox 6 Yankees 4 12 innings Game 5 Red Sox 5 Yankees 4 14 innings Game 6 Red Sox 4 Yankees 2 Game 7 Red Sox 10 Yankees 3

Left for dead in the rubble of that ridiculous 19-8 loss in Game 3 at Fenway Park, not sure if their 21-game winning ace would be able to pitch again this season, getting zero runs batted in from their most dangerous hitter (Manny Ramirez) and zero spark from their leadoff batter (Johnny Damon), the Red Sox pulled a George Costanza.

They did everything opposite of what they normally do. After all those times they should have won, they won the one time when they had no business winning. They won in a fashion no team in the history of the baseball ever has won, losing the first three games of the series, winning the next four.

“I tell you, one day I was driving from my house to the stadium, on a work-out day,” said David Ortiz, a one-man wrecking crew and the MVP of the series. “And I saw a big sign on the street that said, ‘Keep the Faith.’ And I saw there was a photo of Manny (Ramirez) and he had a big smile.

“I just parked in front of that photo and I just sat down for a minute and just thought about it, you know, all the things we’ve been through. Then I went to the field and I just expressed myself to my teammates about what the Boston nation has been waiting for us to do, and what they expect from us.

“So it doesn’t matter if we were down 3-0. We just had to keep the faith.”

The victory sends the Haunted Hose to the World Series for the first time since 1986, or since Mookie Wilson’s grounder snaked through Buckner’s legs. The victory sends the Red Sox to the World Series with their long hair flowing and their confidence flying.

“They never give up,” said Yankees general manager Brian Cashman. “That team never dies. I give them a lot of credit.”

Talk all you want about the “curse.” In Boston, they won’t soon forget “The Comeback.”