Glover needs only four pitches to finish Dodgers in big league debut

With the Nationals leading 8-1 heading to the ninth, right-hander Koda Glover was given the perfect opportunity to shine in his major league debut.

It took him all of four pitches to finish off the game.

The Dodgers managed two flyouts wrapped around a comebacker to Glover. He stabbed the hot shot off pinch-hitter Andrew Toles' bat and calmly threw to first base for the second out.

For the second time in as many nights, manager Dusty Baker was impressed with the performance of a player called up from the minors to make his major league debut. Like Reynaldo Lopez, who started and lost Tuesday night, Glover was an unknown quantity for the first-year manager of the Nationals.

"He wasn't afraid," Baker said of Glover's game finishing ability. "Big time. That's what you like. Young guy comes in, throws strikes. We're really impressed in our organization by him. He's come on rather quickly. This is the first time I've seen him in person. First time I've seen him throw, the last couple days.

"We've called up a couple youngsters that, if you passed them on the street, I wouldn't know them. Now I've seen him a little bit. That was a perfect game to get him into. Because sometimes you're forced into action, bases loaded in the 13th inning or something, so that was a perfect game to get your feet wet."

Glover had pitched well at every level since April. In 33 games, he had gone 3-0 with a 2.18 ERA and six saves in 45 1/3 innings.

Glover has played at high Single-A, Double-A and Triple-A this season before arriving in the majors. And in all of those appearances, he felt calm and collected.

But Wednesday night, before 34,050 at Nationals Park, the native of Monroe, Okla., admitted to a few butterflies when he reached the mound. Earlier this month, he pitched in Rochester, Durham, Norfolk and Syracuse in the International League. But on Wednesday, it was Washington, D.C.

"For the first time, I was actually nervous," Glover said. "I can actually admit that. I don't normally get nervous, but it definitely got the blood pumping."

Did the nerves go away?

"Yeah, after that first pitch they always go away," he said. "I settled in after that."

Glover said sitting out in the bullpen with several Nats veteran relievers was an important part of getting ready for the possibility of coming in.

"I'm just trying to be a sponge as long as I can, just absorb as much knowledge and stuff from all the guys talking about the game," Glover said. "Just watching the game, reading the hitter's swing, stuff like that. That was about all I was doing.

"Everybody is just giving me what they know and stuff. The majority of it is don't change a thing, just go out there and do what I do."

Glover took down the Dodgers 1-2-3. The outing took only four pitches. Glover didn't have to worry about the game speed affecting his play.

He effectively sped up the game all by himself.

"It's pretty fast, huh?" Glover asked the media. "Yeah, it's definitely not a myth. It's pretty fast."

But only 23 hours since he arrived in Washington, Glover paused a moment to reflect on what this all means, to make his major league debut just three months removed from playing 25 miles away in Woodbridge, Va., for the Potomac Nationals.

"It means everything," Glover said. "Just like I said earlier, when you are a kid in your backyard playing Wiffle ball, you're dreaming of this stuff. The typical answer."

Bryce Harper, who is used to being one of the younger guys on the club, was also mighty impressed with the Glover's debut. He said his brother, Bryan Harper, let him know how good the kid from Oklahoma State can be.

Both Bryce Harper and Glover are 23.

"I love him already," Harper said. The guy can throw 98 mph at the knees. What's better than that? Just unbelievable. My brother told me about him, how he is as a person. To be able to come up here and throw 98, three up, three down like that, that's good to see."