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# JOHNSON PITCHING AS GRIFFS TACKLE YANKEES
- URL: https://www.diamondghosts.com/johnson-pitching-as-griffs-tackle-yankees/
- Published: 2026-04-20T21:50:41.000Z
- Updated: 2026-04-20T21:53:54.000Z
- Author: Diamond Ghosts
- Tags: author:Gene Kessler, team:Washington Nationals, player:Stan Coveleski, player:Ernie Nevers, publication:Washington Daily News

Monday, April 20, 1926 - Washington Daily News

**Team Fights to Hold Lead in New League Pennant Race**

[**Coveleskie**](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/covelst01.shtml?ref=diamondghosts.com) **to Start Game at Philly as Club Makes First Trip of Season Tomorrow**

**By GENE KESSLER** *Sports Editor of The News*

Washington today is fighting to hold a grasp on first place in the new American league pennant race—unless it snows, sleets or freezes away the pay customers.

As Bucky Harris and his athletes hovered around fires yesterday, they advanced in the race. Tris Speakers Cleveland Indians did them a good turn by knocking off the white Sox. The Griffs are now tied with Chicago for the lead.

[Walter Johnson](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/j/johnswa01.shtml?ref=diamondghosts.com) is pitching this afternoon against [Babe Ruth ](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/ruthba01.shtml?ref=diamondghosts.com)and the Yankees, just one week since he opened the season against the Athletics here on a chilly day, similiar to this. Barney’s pitching arm seems to thrive in a refrigerator. He only held the hopeful Macks scoreless for 15 innings a week ago and didn’t suffer a bit from the effort nor the cold.

**Covey Opens in Philly** Yesterday’s postponement enabled Bucky to send Stan Coveleskie on to Philadelphia where tomorrow he opens against the A’s in a new series. [Ruether](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/ruethdu01.shtml?ref=diamondghosts.com) will then pitch at Philly Thursday with [Curley Ogden](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/o/ogdencu01.shtml?ref=diamondghosts.com) the probable starter Friday in the place of [Joe Bush](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/bushjo01.shtml?ref=diamondghosts.com), who is still on the injured list suffering from the shrapnel wound received just above the left knee where he stopped a drive from Earl Combs’ bat Sunday.

A bright sun slowly warmed the day, making conditions better for this afternoon, tho the atmosphere promised to remain so chilly that [Buddy Myer](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/myerbu01.shtml?ref=diamondghosts.com) will continue to parade the shortfield with [Roger Peckinpaugh](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/p/peckiro01.shtml?ref=diamondghosts.com) keeping his aged limbs under cover.

**First Road Trip** Tonight the Griffmen pull out for their first trip—to Philly. They are helping the Mackmen open their home season. They return again Sunday to oppose the Boston Red Sox in a four-game series here, then go to New York for a series before taking up their home stand at Griffith Stadium against invading western clubs.

[Coveleskie](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/covelst01.shtml?ref=diamondghosts.com) will be on the mound here Sunday, Johnson’s next turn coming in Philly Saturday. Which will mean that Bush gets back in harness a week from today.

Despite the cold weather Bucky’s athletes are in top shape now. Joe Harris suffered during last week with stomach trouble but is getting right again. Despite this slight ailment Moon is leading the club at bat with a .360 average.

**Great Prospect - Ernie Nevers**

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/9d/ed/9ded1188-58c0-4dc4-a383-eccc24fe015e/content/images/2026/04/ernienevers.png)

Ernie Nevers, St. Louis Browns 1926

[Manager Sisler](https://www.baseball-reference.com/managers/sislege01.shtml?ref=diamondghosts.com) regards this youthful flinger, former California U. football celebrity, as an excellent major league prospect. [Nevers](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/n/neverer01.shtml?ref=diamondghosts.com) may be compared to [Carl Mays](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/maysca01.shtml?ref=diamondghosts.com) and [Grover Alexander ](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/alexape01.shtml?ref=diamondghosts.com)in that he has Mays' hopping underhand ball and Alexander's sidewheeler. ([Nevers Football HoF Page)](https://www.profootballhof.com/players/ernie-nevers?ref=diamondghosts.com)

Source: (1926, April 20) The Washington daily news. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/sn82016181/1926-04-20/ed-1/.