(My Sportsbook) - Derek Lowe hopes to duplicate his brilliant season-opening performance when the
Atlanta Braves kick off the home portion of their schedule with the first of three games against the
Washington Nationals from Turner Field.
In his first start as a Brave last Sunday against the world champion Philadelphia Phillies, Lowe scattered two hits over eight scoreless innings to nail down the win.
Lowe, who signed a four-year, $60 million with Atlanta this offseason, induced 13 groundouts, struck out four without walking a batter and had six 1-2-3 innings.
The 35-year-old right-hander has faced the Nationals 12 times (6 starts) and is 5-1 against them with three saves and a 2.77 earned run average.
Atlanta was denied a sweep in its season-opening three-game set with the Phillies, as it blew a seven-run lead by surrendering eight runs in the seventh inning of a 12-11 loss Wednesday at Citizens Bank Park.
Javier Vazquez started for Atlanta and went six innings, allowing three runs on five hits with five strikeouts and four walks. However, the bullpen failed to deliver him a win, imploding for nine runs, six hits and six walks in two innings.
Brian McCann and Jordan Schafer both hit their second home runs of the season for Atlanta in the loss. Matt Diaz also went deep in defeat.
Washington, meanwhile, was swept by the Florida Marlins in its season-opening three-game series, falling 6-4 in the finale of the set Wednesday at Dolphin Stadium.
The Nationals' 0-3 start is the team's worst since opening with seven consecutive losses in 1998, when the franchise was based in Montreal.
Heading to the hill for the Nationals tonight will be 22-year-old righty Shairon Martis, who is 1-3 in his young career with a 5.66 ERA in five games, four of which have been starts.
One of Martis' four starts last season came against the Braves. He was tagged with the loss in that one, surrendering two runs and four hits in five innings.
Washington took 12 of its 18 matchups with the Braves last season, including wins in five of the nine meetings in Atlanta.
