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Braves continue set with Nats

Aug 31, 2011 - 3:01 PM (Sports Network) - While the big news to come out of Nationals camp on Tuesday was the date for Stephen Strasburg's 2011 debut, the players on the field showed that they aren't just looking towards next season.

Washington will aim to knock the Atlanta Braves' playoff hopes down another peg this evening in the middle portion of a three-game series at Turner Field.

Strasburg has been recovering from Tommy John surgery and is set to make his final rehab start with Double-A Harrisburg on Thursday. That should leave him ready to pitch with the Nationals on Sept. 6 for the first time since going 5-3 with a 2.91 earned run average and 92 strikeouts in 12 starts a season ago before his injury.

Without Strasburg, the Nats find themselves seven games under .500 but are coming off a convincing 9-2 victory in last night's opener. Both Michael Morse and Ryan Zimmerman drove in three runs while falling a triple shy of the cycle, while Laynce Nix and Danny Espinosa added homers.

Given the Nationals were riding a six-game winning streak, Zimmerman and company weren't going to get greedy.

"Not at all," Zimmerman said when asked if he was thinking of hitting for the cycle. "Actually a triple wouldn't be good for me right now. I'm just happy I had a good one. I had a couple bad games in Cincinnati, got away from my usual approach for a few days. Tonight, I got back to simplifying everything and doing what I do."

Livan Hernandez allowed five hits and two runs with three walks over seven innings to earn the win.

Nix was starting in right field in place of Jayson Werth, who was held out of the lineup due to groin and ankle issues. Catcher Wilson Ramos also did not play due to illness and was replaced by Jesus Flores.

The status of both players for this game is unknown.

Jason Heyward drove in both runs for the Braves, who have lost three of four and slipped 7 1/2 games behind first-place Philadelphia in the National League East. Atlanta does still own an 8 1/2-game advantage over St. Louis for the league's wild card.

Jair Jurrjens was charged in the setback with six runs and eight hits over six full frames.

"Just a bad performance. I need to go back and try to get in the groove of things again and let it all go," Jurrjens said of his outing. "I just left a lot of pitches up and down the middle. I have no excuses. You still need to go out and perform, layoff or not, and I didn't today."

Washington has held its own with Atlanta so far this year, winning seven of the 13 overall meetings and four of seven at Turner Field. It stands a good chance of extending that season series advantage tonight if John Lannan can continue his success over the Braves.

Lannan is 3-0 in four starts against the club this year with a 3.09 earned run average, allowing eight runs and fanning 18 over 23 1/3 innings. He beat them the last time he faced the Braves on Aug. 2, allowing three runs over 6 2/3 frames, striking out eight.

The left-hander hasn't won since and has picked up a loss in each of his past three starts. He has given up six earned runs over 14 frames in that span, but the Nats have scored only four runs in those three games.

Lannan is coming off a loss on Thursday to Arizona as he was charted with a pair of runs on seven hits and two walks in six innings. The 26-year-old suffered an 8-1 defeat and fell to 8-10 with a 3.59 ERA on the season.

The Braves counter with Derek Lowe, who has alternated wins and losses in five straight starts and has notched a decision in each of his past 12 outings (5-7). The right-hander is coming off a loss to the Cubs on Wednesday, giving up three runs -- two earned -- on four hits and four walks with six strikeouts over seven innings.

Lowe is 8-12 with a 4.63 ERA on the season and that includes three starts versus the Nationals. He has split a pair of decisions while pitching to a 6.89 ERA and was drilled for seven earned runs over four innings when he last faced them on Aug. 2 in a loss.

Rick Ankiel hit a grand slam off the 38-year-old and Ian Desmond added a two- run shot. Espinosa has also homered off Lowe this year while going 4-for-7 at the plate overall.