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Braves' Lowe tries to extend mastery of Nationals

May 12, 2011 - 2:33 PM (Sports Network) - It's up to Atlanta Braves starter Derek Lowe to help his club salvage the finale of a three-game series tonight versus the Washington Nationals at Turner Field.

Lowe is perhaps the best candidate for the job since he's riding a 19 2/3 scoreless innings streak against the Nationals and beat them in his 2011 debut on March 31 in Washington. Lowe threw 5 2/3 shutout innings and struck out six that day to run his career mark against the Nats to 9-7 with a 3.46 ERA in 24 games, 18 of which have been starts.

The right-hander was last in action on Friday at Philadelphia and carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning of a 5-0 triumph. Lowe lasted six innings and fanned four batters to end a three-start winless streak (0-1) and improve to 3-3 in eight starts while lowering his ERA to 3.22.

Atlanta used seven pitchers in Wednesday's 7-3 loss in 11 innings, as the Nationals rallied for four runs in the top of the 11th to send Braves reliever Scott Linebrink to the showers with a loss. Linebrink allowed four runs in just 1 1/3 innings of work, while closer Craig Kimbrel blew his third save by yielding two runs in the top of the ninth. Starter Tommy Hanson pitched the first 5 2/3 frames, permitting just one run on five hits with three K's.

"Everyone showed up and did their job today until we got to the ninth, and I didn't do mine," Kimbrel said. "If I go out there and do my job, we win. But I didn't, that's why we ended up losing the game."

Eric Hinske homered and Brian McCann extended his hit streak to 11 games with two doubles and two RBI for the Braves, who have dropped three of four games since a six-game winning streak and fell to 0-2 on an eight-game homestand. Philadelphia and Houston will also make stops in the Peach State. Braves young right fielder Jason Heyward could miss a second straight game with a sore right shoulder. Heyward is batting .220 with seven homers and 14 RBI, and is expected to undergo an MRI on Thursday.

"It feels like it's loose, like there is space in there when I move it around," Heyward told the team's site. "There's a lot of discomfort."

The Nationals have won two in a row and four of five games, and will conclude a nine-game road trip Thursday. They are 4-4 on the trek and came through in the clutch last night with two runs in the ninth inning to tie the game and four more in the 11th to seal the win.

Alex Cora drove in two runs with a single in the ninth and Jayson Werth's two- run homer in the 11th highlighted a four-run 11th frame. Ian Desmond had a two-run double before Werth's blast for Washington. Drew Storen earned the win with a scoreless inning of relief and John Lannan hurled six innings of two- run ball for the no-decision.

"It was a good win," Cora said. "From where we started this [nine-game] road trip, to where we are right now with a chance to sweep these guys, it's big for the team."

Jordan Zimmerman hopes to tame Atlanta's bats when he takes the mound for the Nationals tonight. Zimmerman has thrown six innings of two-run ball in two straight starts and did not figure into the decision of Friday's 3-2 win at Florida. He is 2-4 in seven starts on the season to go along with a 4.10 ERA.

Zimmerman lost to the Braves on April 3, allowing three runs -- two earned -- in six innings of an 11-2 rout. The right-hander is 2-1 in three career starts against Atlanta.

Atlanta won two of three matchups with Washington from March 31-April 3, but the Nats are 8-4 in the past 12 meetings between the two NL East inhabitants.