Baker wants Glover to learn from emotional showdown with Puig

LOS ANGELES - Dusty Baker admittedly didn't see what happened at the end of Tuesday night's game because he had turned to shake hands with his coaches after the Nationals finished off a 2-1 victory over the Dodgers. Once he had a chance to watch the video and hear from others about the post-strike three encounter between Koda Glover and Yasiel Puig, the Nats manager had some more perspective.

"My take is: There's a lot of testosterone out there," Baker said. "It happens sometimes. Puig, he's been known to kind of showboat when he does well. And pitchers nowadays are known to kind of showboat and show their emotions when they do something. Even in my day, there were guys that really took exception to pitchers - (Dennis) Eckersley fist-pumping, guys showing emotion or whatever. Hey, it's getting to be summertime. Guys are around each other a lot. A lot of competition. You hope not, but as the summer gets hotter, tempers seem to get shorter."

Glover had words for Puig after striking him out on a 3-2 slider down and away, and Puig turned around and walked back toward the rookie closer, jawing at him. Both benches emptied, but nothing of consequence happened and both sides retreated without incident.

"Tempers flared a little bit," Glover said after the game. "It is what it is. I don't have any hard feelings toward him. He was staring at me. I didn't like it. It is what it is."

Puig did not appear in the Dodgers clubhouse while reporters were present.

The consensus among the Nationals seems to be that Glover needs to be careful in those situations, that it's OK to be excited after completing a save but that emotions shouldn't be directed at opponents.

Baker was asked this morning if someone from the club might speak to the young reliever, or whether this is the sort of thing he'll just figure out along the way.

"Somebody will say something to him," Baker said. "But how come you guys always want somebody to say something to somebody? Sometimes you've just got to learn on your own. They're big boys. If it gets out of hand, I'll say something to them. But if not, just get them out next time."