Baker and Maddux want to make sure Glover is OK after two rough outings

Right-hander Koda Glover has pitched in the eighth inning in his last two outings. Each time, he allowed a homer.

On Friday, Glover surrendered a three-run shot to Phillies catcher Cameron Rupp. Then Sunday, it was a solo shot on his first pitch to Phillies shortstop Freddy Galvis.

After allowing only one run in six of his previous seven outings, Glover allowed four runs in back-to-back appearances.

This was unchartered territory for Glover. Nationals manager Dusty Baker felt Glover was taking the setbacks pretty hard.

"I talked to him after the game," Baker said. "I said I couldn't wait to get him back out there yesterday. His only problem is he's throwing the ball down the heart of the plate. You play catch, everything you do, you do with a purpose. I said, 'I know it's hard on you,' and he said, 'Yeah, I've never been through this before.'

"Well, Bryce (Harper) never been through this before either. I told him this is part of the process and part of being a big leaguer because if you think you are going to come in here and be great all the time, there's only a few of those that do it over a sustained period of time without having some downfall. I'm not worried about them. He's a confident man."

Baker took a more philosophical view of the home runs allowed and made sure Glover knew that he could not let the bad outings linger in his mindset.

"How many of these guys have ever failed, period?" Baker asked. "This is a first time for a lot of these guys failing in their whole life. You either pick yourself up and learn from it or it crushes you. I told him to just forget it. You got to forget yesterday or otherwise it carries forward with you. I can't wait to get back out there again to see if he's learned. Might have to do it in a less pressurized situation initially. He's going to be a big part of this team."

Pitching coach Mike Maddux agreed with Baker's advice for Glover, pointing to one of the most famous starting pitchers of all time.

"Bob Gibson is the all-time leader with a 1.12 ERA," Maddux said. "As good as he was, nobody's ever surpassed that. Even got beat that year (1968 when he went 22-9), nine times. No perfection in this game. We have perfect thought. We go out there and compete. Guys get paid a lot of money to swing the bat."

Maddux said you have to think about where Glover was last year, pitching at Oklahoma State. This season, he began the season at high Single-A Potomac. Today, he's with the Nationals.

"The guy was pitching college ball a year ago," Maddux said. "He's opened up a lot of eyes. He's got a promising career in front of him, promising future. He'll provide it. He's got the makeup to be a good pitcher. That's what got you here. That's what is going to keep you here."

Maddux also has a strategy for when he speaks to his pitchers. He said he likes to let his pitchers have a day before talking to them after a rough outing.

"I didn't talk to him today," Maddux revealed. "I'm a next day kind of a guy. Heat of the moment, people say things, you look back and go, 'Man.' Emotions all subside, you are more objective (the next day)."