Red Sox’ Bullpen, Pitching, Bats All Working Together Now, But That Doesn’t Mean Problems Solved

by abournenesn

Apr 29, 2012

Red Sox' Bullpen, Pitching, Bats All Working Together Now, But That Doesn't Mean Problems Solved Editor's note: NESN.com is going to tell the story of the 2012 Red Sox in Bobby Valentine's words. Each game day, we will select a Valentine quote that sums up the day for the Red Sox.

For the first 14 games of the season, the Red Sox were like a fantasy team gone wrong.

Hot players' efforts were wasted when the rest of the team couldn't perform. Dependable pitchers were putting up sickly numbers. Manager Bobby Valentine would go to a guy who had been good before only to see him waste his chance in the spotlight.

That's all changed, thanks to a little time on the road.

The Red Sox are so good right now that they're leading the American League stats sheets and have some people thinking that — the season-opening blip fully aside — they'll win 100 games this year.

Ah, nothing like ridiculous expectations for the Sox before May arrives.

But there's one thing the Red Sox have done during their six-game surge that backs up those heady feelings. Rather than breathing a sigh of relief and continuing on as if the Sox had never had a problem, Red Sox management has been as active in tinkering.

News of the 1-0 Red Sox win on Saturday night — complete with a phenomenal start by Jon Lester and a solid finish by the bullpen — accompanied other news from Boston, such as Aaron Cook possibly taking a role in the bullpen.

The front office and Valentine aren't pretending all is fine. They're enjoying the wins, for sure, but they're also trying to make sure the Red Sox don't fall into the ugliness that was the beginning of the season, when a bad bullpen or a poor start were full-blown disasters, not just momentary dips.

"You play the season to build the little parts of your team," Valentine said after the win Saturday, referring to the bullpen.

He could say the same thing about the starting pitching and the offense. Both have had performances that were just as bad as the bullpen's, and both have needed weeks to come together.

This stretch of games — which began in Minnesota and Chicago and continues back in Boston against some creampuffs, including the A's, Orioles and Royals – is the time for the Red Sox to "build" the team, as Valentine says. Both the players and management need to make sure that no focus is lost on that important work amidst the victories.

Winning heals a lot, but don’t think Daniel Bard's name will stop being used in word association with the bullpen. Lester, Clay Buchholz and Josh Beckett aren’t guaranteed to go Cy Young-caliber the rest of the way. And the offense? The ferocious Sox lineup started the season hitting about .180, and it can happen again.

Enjoy the wins. Rally around the 6-0. But no one should assume the team is fixed just yet, and fans should hope management works like it will never be.

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