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Braves turn to Jurrjens in opener with Nationals

Aug 1, 2011 - 2:42 PM (Sports Network) - Right-hander Jair Jurrjens and the newly-bolstered Atlanta Braves head to Washington tonight to play the first of a three-game series with the Nationals at Nationals Park.

The Braves, second in the National League's East Division to Philadelphia and in the early lead for the league's lone wild card berth, acquired All-Star center fielder Michael Bourn from the Houston Astros for outfielder Jordan Schafer and pitchers Juan Abreu, Paul Clemens and Brett Oberholtzer.

The new acquisition couldn't prevent a loss on the field, however, as Ricky Nolasco pitched into the seventh inning to help Florida avoid the sweep with a 3-1 win.

Tommy Hanson (11-6) was handed the loss when he gave up three runs on six hits with four walks and seven strikeouts over six innings as the Braves lost a game for the 10,000th time in franchise history.

Atlanta second baseman Dan Uggla extended his hitting streak to 22 games with a single in the first inning, but finished the game just 1-for-4 while Freddie Freeman moved his to 15 games with a 1-for-4 contest.

Jurrjens comes into the start with a four-decision win streak and more than a month since his last loss.

The 25-year-old Curacao native fell to 5-3 on the season with a 4-3 loss to the New York Mets on June 14, but subsequently beat Texas, San Diego, Baltimore and Colorado between June 19 and July 6.

His last three starts have each ended in no-decisions, including a 9-8 Atlanta win over the Nationals in which Jurrjens was touched for six runs on eight hits in five innings.

Jurrjens is 3-2 in 10 lifetime starts against the Nationals and the Braves are 15-4 this season in games he's pitched.

Washington replies with veteran righty Livan Hernandez, who hasn't won in five starts since June 26.

The 36-year-old Cuban defeated the Chicago White Sox to improve to 5-8 in 2011, but is 0-2 with three no-decisions since while his earned run average has swelled from 3.81 to 4.19.

He tossed just four innings in an 11-1 loss to the Braves on July 15, giving up six runs on eight hits in falling to 7-18 in his career against Atlanta.

Washington is 6-16 in Hernandez's 22 starts this season.

On Sunday in Washington, Rick Ankiel went to third on a pitch in the dirt and scored easily on Ian Desmond's chopper over the mound in the bottom of the ninth, lifting the Nationals to a 3-2 win over the New York Mets.

Washington won with a rally that came after New York tied the game at 2-2 in the top of the ninth on Scott Hairston's two-out solo homer off closer Drew Storen.

Hairston had two homers in the game for the Mets, while Ryan Zimmerman and Michael Morse had back-to-back RBI doubles in the game for the Nationals.

Washington won the final two games of the three-game set on the heels of a six-game losing streak.

Nationals starter Jordan Zimmermann pitched six shutout innings, giving up seven hits and a walk while striking out six.

Ian Desmond, Zimmerman and Morse hit three straight doubles off Mets starter Jon Niese to start the bottom of the sixth, giving Washington a 2-0 lead and putting Zimmermann in line for his first win in three starts.

The Braves have won five of nine over the Nats this year, taking two of three in Washington on March 31-April 3.