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Jul 31, 2010 - 4:17 AM By BRETT HUSTON STATS Writer

Atlanta (58-43) at Cincinnati (57-46), 4:10 p.m. EDT

The Atlanta Braves earned a hard-fought victory in their opener at Cincinnati, giving them a shot at turning around a road trip that began with four losses in six games.

Jair Jurrjens would love to experience a similar reversal of fortune away from home.

Jurrjens' ERA is more than six runs higher on the road, and his ugly record during the day may be another bad omen as the Braves attempt to capture their three-game set with the Reds on Saturday afternoon.

Just 24 hours after Chipper Jones pleaded "get us back to Atlanta" while referring to the road as the Braves' nemesis, his team came through with an impressive victory. Rookie Jason Heyward had three hits, including a two-run double off Francisco Cordero in the 10th inning that lifted Atlanta to a 6-4 victory over the Reds (57-47).

"That at-bat Heyward had - you're 20 years old, you're not supposed to be doing stuff like that against one of the better closers in the game," catcher Brian McCann said after the Braves improved to 25-30 on the road. "He came through for us tonight."

Jurrjens (3-3, 4.37 ERA) tries to help Atlanta (59-43) become the first team to take a series in Cincinnati since the Dodgers from June 15-17, but the road hasn't been kind to the right-hander. Jurrjens is 3-0 with a 1.71 ERA at Turner Field but 0-3 with a 7.88 ERA away from home.

Additionally, all three losses have come during the day, when his ERA is 7.27.

Jurrjens has been a far better pitcher in the five starts since he returned from a strained left hamstring than he was in his first five outings, and Sunday afternoon he took a positive step on the road. He gave up four fourth-inning runs but nothing else against Florida, lasting through the seventh in the Braves' 5-4, 11-inning defeat.

"J.J. pitched a heck of a game, he really did," manager Bobby Cox said. "The four runs in that inning were just stupid runs. ... I thought he was outstanding. It's just a shame that we lose that game."

Cincinnati might be an unlikely place for Jurrjens to pick up his first road win, however. He is 0-1 with a 9.95 ERA in two starts at Great American Ball Park, issuing seven walks in 6 1-3 innings.

Brandon Phillips is 3 for 7 with two doubles and a homer against Jurrjens.

The Reds counter with Bronson Arroyo (10-6, 4.21), who has held opponents to a .190 average in five starts this month while posting a 3.38 ERA.

He's only 3-2, however, after surrendering three runs and three hits over eight innings Monday in a 3-2 loss at Milwaukee. Arroyo needed only 88 pitches to complete the game.

"I was hoping to keep riding it out and maybe get a 10-inning win instead of an eight-inning loss," he told the Reds' official website.

Arroyo is 5-3 with a 5.90 ERA in 12 games against Atlanta, though he's never faced Heyward, who's hitting .439 in his last 10 contests.

There are plenty of other Braves' bats that should concern Arroyo. Jones is 11 for 25 (.440) with three homers against him, while McCann is 4 for 12 with two home runs.