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Davies goes for second straight win as Braves face Nationals

May 16, 2007 - 1:34 PM Atlanta (25-14) at Washington (13-26) 7:05 pm EDT

WASHINGTON (Ticker) -- Kyle Davies will attempt a feat that he hasn't accomplished in nearly two years.

Davies and the Atlanta Braves aim for their sixth straight series win when they face the Washington Nationals in the rubber game of a three-game series on Wednesday.

Davies (1-1, 5.35 ERA) takes the mound looking for his second straight victory after allowing one run and seven hits in seven innings of a 4-1 win at the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday. The righthander will try to win consecutive starts for just the third time in his career and the first since July 30-August 4, 2005.

The 23-year-old is 2-1 with a 3.77 ERA in four appearances - including two starts - against the Nationals.

The Braves bounced back from a 2-1 loss in the opener with a 6-2 victory on Tuesday behind two home runs by shortstop Edgar Renteria. It was the sixth career multi-homer game for the five-time All-Star.

Renteria has hit safely in 20 of his last 21 games, and is batting .344 (33-for-96) with four homers, 14 RBI and 20 runs scored in that span.

Atlanta will be opposed by rookie Levale Speigner (1-0, 3.77), who makes his first career start. Speigner has allowed six runs, 14 hits and 12 walks in 14 1/3 innings over 12 relief appearances.

Washington is forced to go with the 26-year-old righthander because of the spate of injuries to its rotation. Jerome Williams, who just returned from the 15-day disabled list to pitch on Tuesday, surrendered five runs and seven hits in two-plus innings vs. Atlanta before leaving the contest with a strained rotator cuff in his throwing shoulder.

With his possible return to the disabled list, Williams would be the third starter sidelined for the Nationals, re-joining John Patterson and Shawn Hill, who were put on the DL in a one-week span earlier this month.

Tuesday's loss snapped a four-game winning streak for Washington.