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Nationals seek fifth straight win

May 15, 2007 - 2:31 PM Atlanta (24-14) at Washington (13-25) 7:05 pm EDT

WASHINGTON (Ticker) -- The Washington Nationals are one of baseball's hottest teams thanks to some strong pitching performances.

The Nationals will try to record their fifth straight victory on Tuesday when they continue their four-game series with the Atlanta Braves at RFK Stadium.

Jason Bergmann took a no-hitter into the eighth inning and ended up allowing only one run in eight innings of Monday's series-opening 2-1 victory - his first win in the majors as a starter. This performance comes three days after Shaun Hill and Winston Abreu combined to toss six frames of no-hit ball before reliever Saul Rivera allowed a hit to open the seventh inning.

The Nationals have won four in a row at home after dropping eight straight road games and are attempting to post their longest winning streak since a five-game march from August 31-September 4, 2006.

Washington's starters have earned three victories during the winning streak, allowing only five earned runs in 22 2/3 innings. The bullpen has been strong as well, giving up just two runs in 13 1/3 frames.

The Nationals plan to activate Jerome Williams (0-4, 6.11 ERA) from the disabled list in time to make the start on Tuesday. He held the New York Mets hitless through 5 1/3 innings in his last start on April 28 and ended up allowing just one hit in six scoreless innings before spraining his left ankle in the Mets' 6-2, 12-inning win.

Williams, who made a rehab start at Triple-A Columbus on Thursday, is 1-2 with a 4.15 ERA in five career starts against Atlanta.

Tim Hudson (4-1, 1.83) will look to help the Braves avoid a season-long three-game skid after allowing two runs and nine hits in six innings of last Thursday's 5-3 win over San Diego.

Hudson, who has not given up more than three runs in any of his eight starts, failed to go seven innings for the first time this season but won for the first time since April 20.

Hudson, who has walked only one batter in his last 30 innings, has pitched well against the Nationals franchise, going 2-1 with a 1.30 ERA in five career starts against them, including picking up his first win of the season against Washington on April 10.

The Nationals activated closer Chad Cordero from the bereavement list before the game.

Atlanta third baseman Chipper Jones was originally in Monday's lineup, but was scratched and missed his third straight game after bruising his wrists and thumbs in a collision with the Pirates' Jose Bautista on Friday.

His injury comes in light of a dislocated pinky finger that John Smoltz suffered on Monday in his collision with Austin Kearns.