• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Hanson goes for Braves in D.C.

Apr 2, 2011 - 2:32 PM (Sports Network) - Tommy Hanson tries to follow up Derek Lowe's Opening Day gem this afternoon when the Atlanta Braves resume their season-opening three- game series against Washington at Nationals Park.

Lowe tossed 5 2/3 scoreless innings and Jason Heyward homered in first at-bat for the second straight year to lift the Braves to a 2-0 win on Thursday.

"All in all we'll take this," Lowe said. "Got those two early runs and was able to not be in a lot of trouble, which is great for your first start."

Lowe (1-0), making his third straight Opening Day start for the Braves, allowed only three hits and two walks while striking out six. Craig Kimbrel recorded the save with a perfect ninth to secure a win for new manager Fredi Gonzalez.

Danny Espinosa had two of the five hits for the Nationals, who are looking to rebound from a brutal 69-93 season a year ago that saw them finish in the basement of the NL East.

The club's top free agent acquisition, outfielder Jayson Werth, went 1- for-4. He agreed to a whopping seven-year, $126 million deal in the offseason after spending the previous four years with Philadelphia.

Livan Hernandez (0-1), making his fourth Opening Day start for Washington, worked 6 1/3 innings, giving up two runs on four hits with three strikeouts.

"I thought Livan was outstanding," said Nationals manager Jim Riggleman. "Seemed like everywhere we played, they hit it somewhere else."

Hoping to give the Braves consecutive wins to open the year will be Hanson, who followed up an 11-win 2009 season with a 10-11 mark and 3.33 ERA a season ago. Hanson was plagued by lack of run support throughout the year and at one point went 10 starts without a win despite a 3.08 ERA in that span.

The heralded prospect has yet to beat the Nationals in two starts against them.

Washington, meanwhile, will counter with left-hander John Lannan, who was 8-8 last season with a 4.65 ERA. Lannan, a former Opening Day starter for the Nats, also spent some time in Double-A last season because of his struggles. .

Lannan has faced the Braves 10 times and is 5-4 lifetime against them with a 3.39 ERA.

Washington won the season series with Atlanta last year, besting its NL East rival in 10 of the 18 meetings. That included a victory in six of nine at Nationals Park.