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Braves seeking fifth consecutive victory

Jul 16, 2007 - 1:16 PM Cincinnati (37-55) at Atlanta (50-42) 7:05 pm EDT

ATLANTA (Ticker) - The Atlanta Braves will be after their fifth straight win when they host the Cincinnati Reds in the opener of a three-game series Monday.

Just 1 1/2 games behind the first-place New York Mets in the National League East, Atlanta takes on a struggling Reds team that is 17-29 on the road this season.

Atlanta starter Kyle Davies (4-7, 5.55 ERA) had gone five starts without a win before holding the San Diego Padres to one run six innings during a 5-4 victory on July 8. In seven starts at home this season, the righthander is 1-3 with a 5.53 ERA.

Bobby Livingston (1-0, 3.00) has been called up from Class AAA Louisville to make his third start of the year for the Reds. The 24-year-old lefthander allowed four runs and 10 hits in 5 1/3 innings in a 10-5 loss to the Los Angles Dodgers on May 13.

Livingston did not factor in the decision in that defeat, but did pick up his first career win in a 4-2 victory against the Colorado Rockies on June 1 when he allowed one unearned run in 6 2/3 innings.

This is the first of seven meetings between the teams this year. The Braves went 4-3 against the Reds last season.