September 26
1924 Their lead now trimmed to 1 game, Washington falls at Boston, 2-1. Two personal streaks of Senator players are halted. Walter Johnson‘s 13 game win streak and Sam Rice‘s 31 game hitting streak
1940 Stringing together 3 straight hits, the Nats rally for 2 in the 9th to defeat the Red Sox, 6-5, at Boston. Cecil Travis drives home the go-ahead run for Washington. Sox losing pitcher Jim Bagby Jr. records all 3 putouts in the 4th inning, a ML record that will not be equaled until 1963.
1956 Washington’s Jim Lemon establishes a ML record, since surpassed, by striking out 138 times this season. The Red Sox coast to an 8-4 victory at Fenway.
1958 Former Senator Pete Runnels is tied for the AL batting lead with teammate Ted Williams following Boston’s sweep of two at Griffith. Williams is 2-for-3 in the opener, a Sox win, 6-4. While Williams sits in the nightcap, Runnels goes 2-for 4 in Boston’s game two victory, 3-1. Williams and Runnels are hitting at precisely.32258. For the lackluster Senators, their losing streak is extended to 11.
1965 Calvin Griffith must have been crowing. Not only does his Twins clinch the AL crown, but they do it in Washington. Jim Kaat strikes out 10 in the 2-1 clincher to sew up the Washington/Minnesota franchise’s 4th pennant. Pete Richert allows 3 hits in 9 innings in a losing cause for the expansion Nats.
1969 The Nats win their 82nd game of the year, guaranteeing an above .500 finish for the first time in their short expansion existence. Lee Maye pops a grand slam in the Senators, 4-1, win over Cleveland in RFK.
Senators Birthdays
Walter John Chipple (born Walter John Chlipala) B Sep. 26, 1918 D Jun. 8, 1988
Single Season Senator Walt Chipple began his baseball career in the Brooklyn Dodgers organization. Drafted by the Senators in November of 1944, Chipple, an outfielder, would appear in 18 games in the 1945 season, going 6 for 44. Chipple would leave Washington, and the majors, in late June of that year with a career BA of .136, 5 walks, 4 runs scored and 6 strikeouts.
