In the mundanity of morning in March, Andrew Bailey turned the goal into a game.
Johan Oviedo was scheduled for a bullpen session, a routine between-starts occurrence. Bailey, the Red Sox’ pitching coach, wanted him to throw strikes, so he threw down a challenge: Land at least 12 of 20 pitches in the zone, and Oviedo wins.
The defined terms unleashed the competitor in Oviedo. Needing to nail each of the final three pitches to hit the threshold, he did so, nipping the edges at that. The 6-foot-6-inch, 275-pound, usually straightlaced righthander broke into a beaming smile.
Bailey, amped in reciprocation, was emphatic: If Oviedo throws strikes at that rate — getting close to two out of every three pitches — “you will carve” up opposing hitters, he told him.
Read Tim Healey's full story at BostonGlobe.com/Sports. | 
