NATIONALS IN POSITION TO COP YANKEE SERIES

The Washington Daily News, April 19, 1926

BY GENE KESSLER

Sports Editor of The News

Bucky Harris’ league champs are now in a position to take their second straight series of the season.

They enter the third game with the Yankees today on even terms, one game each, and with Walter Johnson pitching. Then, Stanley Coveleskie is ready for the call tomorrow.

Johnson, who stretched his lifetime shutout string to 111 and his strike-out list to 3333 in getting away to an early start this season against the Athletics in the opening game, has had two extra days of rest owing to the 15 innings of labor in winning his first game.

Johnson was in shape for the game, having felt no ill effects from his strenuous test of last Tuesday. He is determined to prove to the skeptical that the 15-inning struggle did not put his pitching arm out of condition for a month. He will be opposed by Urban Shocker, the veteran who was traded by the Browns for Bush a year ago.

Bush Wounded Hero

Two members of the squad brushed to the front in squeezing out a 3 to 2 eleven inning victory over the Yanks yesterday, thereby tying the series. Joe Bush, the ancient pitcher discarded a year ago by Miller Huggins as a “has been” found his second youth. Ossie Bluege came to life at bat.

Yet Bush will be inactive for more than a week as a result of the first accident of the year at the stadium. The second hit he allowed in his brilliant work was Earl Comb's line drive in the ninth which struck Joe just above the left knee. He keeled over and remained several minutes, then tried to continue. Bob Meusel clouted a homer just over the left field wall tying the score at 2 all. Fred Marberry finished the game and was credited with victory.

Bluege Drives in Run

It was Bluege who drove in the winning run with a hit which scored Stuffy Stewart, running for J. Harris, from second. Ossie was the only Griffman to successfully solve Myles Thomas, the Toronto rookie who relieved Bob Shawkey in the eighth. He singled in the ninth.

For six innings yesterday the 15,000 shivering fans were carried back to 1921 when Bush and Shawkey were leading pitchers of the league. The only apparent difference was that they were wearing different uniforms, both having been on the New York club in 1921.

Stops Babe Ruth

The first hit of the game was Lou Gehrig’s double off Bush in the sixth with two out and Babe Ruth at bat. The Babe flied out. The second hit was Judge’s single opening the seventh. Washington followed it up to score Judge for the first run of the day on a squeeze with Muddy Ruel bunting. Bush then slammed the second hit off Shawkey and scored Buddy Myer who was safe on Tony Lazzeri’s error. Sam Rice followed that with a single, but no further scoring resulted and Shawkey exited for a pinch batter.

After Meusel’s homer a new duel started between two youngsters—Marberry and Thomas. Firpo allowed one hit and it was a real wallop—a double by Pat Collins. But Miller Huggins passed up any chance he had to take advantage of that blow, which opened the 10th frame, bringing a bit of dumb baseball into play. Thomas tried to sacrifice the slow moving Collins from second to third and Pat was caught flat-footed.

Marberry didn’t take a chance with Ruth in the 11th, passing the Bambino. It was Babe who drove in the tying run Saturday with a single, then drove in the winning run with a double and scored the extra Yankee tally for the 8 to 6 victory on Meusel’s triple.

Ruth, tho, is not the same player he was a couple years ago. The Babe has changed his style at bat in an effort to reduce his hitting to shorter but more hits. And he’s not the same dangerous Bambino up there at the plate, tho he still has his keen eye for the ball.

Curley Ogden was pitching Saturday when Babe and Meusel tripled in a row for the winning runs. In spite of this misfortune Curley was in top form, using a cross-fire curve delivery and an overhand fast ball for the first time in league competition since his arm was hurt two years ago. He will step in shortly with some winning exhibitions.

Look What Ossie Did!

NEW YORK	AB	R	H	C	WASHINGTON	AB	R	H	C
Koenig, ss	3	0	0	4	Rice, cf	4	0	1	5
Combs, cf	5	0	1	3	S. Harris, 2b	3	0	0	6
Gehrig, 1b	4	1	1	13	Goslin, lf	5	0	0	3
Ruth, rf	4	0	0	2	J. Harris, rf	4	0	1	2
Meusel, lf	5	1	1	2	Judge, 1b	5	1	1	12
Lazz’ri, 2b	3	0	0	0	Bluege, 3b	4	0	2	2
Dugan, 3b	4	0	0	4	Myer, ss	3	1	0	8
Collins, c	4	0	1	7	Ruel, c	2	0	0	5
Shawkey, p	2	0	0	3	Bush, p	3	0	1	3
†Adams	1	0	0	0	Marberry, p	1	0	0	1
Thomas, p	1	0	0	3	*Stewart	0	1	0	0
Totals	36	2	4	41	Totals	34	3	6	47

New York ....... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 — 2

Washington ... 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 1 — 3

†Batted for Shawkey in the eighth.

*Ran for J. Harris in the eleventh.

Error—Lazzeri. Two base hits—Gehrig, Collins. Home run—Meusel. Stolen bases—Rice, S. Harris. Sacrifices—Bluege, Ruel, Myer. Double plays—S. Harris to Judge.

Left on bases—New York, 6; Washington, 8. First base on balls—Off Bush, 4; off Shawkey, 5; off Marberry, 1. Struck out—By Shawkey, 2; by Bush, 3; by Thomas, 3. Hits—Off Shawkey, 3 in 7 innings; off Thomas, 3 in 3 1-3 innings; off Bush, 3 in 8 2-3 innings; off Marberry, 1 in 2 1-3 innings. Passed ball—Collins. Winning pitcher—Marberry. Losing pitcher—Thomas. Umpires—Geisel, Connolly and Nallin. Time of game—2:20.