Pursuit of Perfection

So, the Red Sox pitching staff was almost perfect against the Rays. That’s pretty cool. Is it important? Well, I’d prefer they throw a perfect game as opposed to giving up 100 runs. But, the actual result wouldn’t be important in either case.

OK. Maybe giving up 100 runs would be important.

We’re now two weeks away from opening day. I just want people to be pitching well. I want to have them looking sharp and controlled out there. Whether they give up one hit, or five hits doesn’t really matter. Are they all over the place? I guess that’s the one good point about a perfect outing. At least they didn’t walk anyone. That would be a troublesome spot, if the pitchers were walking in run after run. Not tragic, but troublesome.

That’s especially nice with Jon Lester. Red Sox fans are certainly hoping for a lot out of him this season. We’re probably making too much out of the return of John Farrell. But, the idea is that Lester was at his best with Farrell as his pitching coach. So, he should be back to his best again. Flip that switch. As misguided as that probably was, it’s nice to see that Lester is getting there.

The real test will, naturally, be the regular season. Will he be able to hold everything together? Will he be able to stay focused and controlled on the mound? Will he finally be the true ace that we’ve all been waiting for him to be? The signs are looking good at the moment.

That’s what the final two weeks of spring training is all about. The fine-tuning. Getting everything in its proper place. Lester will probably get two more starts. It’s time to stretch out, and keep that command.

Let’s see how it goes.