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Jul 5, 2009 - 12:30 AM By JEFF MEZYDLO STATS Senior Writer

Atlanta (39-40) at Washington (22-55), 1:35 p.m. EDT

The Atlanta Braves hope their latest defeat doesn't hurt the collective confidence they've gained over the last week.

On Sunday, the visiting Braves look to bounce back from having their season-high, five-game winning streak snapped while concluding a three-game set with the Washington Nationals.

Looking to get back to .500, Atlanta's bullpen couldn't hold a two-run lead and gave up four runs in the eighth inning of a 5-3 loss Saturday. Prior to the defeat, Braves relievers had a 3.98 ERA, but they wasted another strong outing from rookie Tommy Hanson.

Atlanta (39-41) hopes Saturday's meltdown won't be the beginning of another streak that's headed in the wrong direction. The Braves' stretch of five consecutive wins followed a four-game skid.

"We're playing really good ball," reliever Mike Gonzalez said. "Hopefully this doesn't put a chink in what we're doing right now."

Adam Dunn snapped a 3-all tie in the eighth with an RBI single for the Nationals (23-55), one inning after he hit his 300th career homer and second in as many games.

The 29-year-old Dunn is the fifth player in major league history to reach that total in less than 4,200 at-bats, succeeding in his 4,145th. He joins Babe Ruth (3,830), Mark McGwire (3,837), Ralph Kiner (3,883) and Harmon Killebrew (3,928).

"That 300th home run would have been hard to talk about. It would have been a useless home run if we hadn't won the game," said Dunn, who has 22 homers, including four with eight RBIs during a six-game hitting streak.

Though Dunn has homered in three of his last four games versus Atlanta, he's 1 for 16 against scheduled starter Derek Lowe (7-6, 4.44 ERA).

After going 0-3 with a 12.34 ERA in his previous three starts, Lowe allowed two runs and seven hits in six innings of a 5-4, 10-inning victory over Philadelphia on Tuesday.

The right-hander is 5-2 with a 2.70 ERA in eight starts versus the Nationals but went 0-1 with a 4.00 ERA in two April outings against them.

After snapping a four-game losing streak by winning for the third time in 12 contests, Washington counters with Scott Olsen (1-4, 6.56).

In his first start since missing more than a month with shoulder tendinitis, the left-hander gave up two runs and six hits while striking out seven without a walk in seven innings, but didn't factor in the decision of a 4-2 loss at Florida on Monday.

"It was encouraging to see Olsen pitch that well," manager Manny Acta told the Nationals' official Web site. "It was a tremendous outing. You couldn't ask for anything better."

Olsen gave up five runs in five innings of an 8-5 loss to the Braves on April 12. He's 2-5 with a 6.75 ERA in 11 starts versus them.

Garrett Anderson had two hits and an RBI on Saturday for the Braves, who scored 32 runs while batting .318 during their five-game winning streak. Anderson is hitting .370 (10 for 27) with four RBIs in his last eight contests.