(My Sportsbook) - Bronson Arroyo will try to continue his hot start to the season when he leads the Cincinnati Reds this afternoon in the middle contest of a three-game series versus the Atlanta Braves.

Arroyo is 3-0 with a 4.19 earned run average in three starts and defeated Houston the last time out on April 20 with a season high seven innings of three-run ball. He gave up nine hits in the 4-3 victory and struck out a pair of batters. He is off to his best start since going 5-0 with a 2.06 ERA over his first six outings of the 2006 campaign -- his first with the Reds.

The high-kicking righty is 4-2 with a 5.59 earned run average in 10 career appearances (nine starts) against Atlanta.

Cincinnati will try to get back on track Saturday after having its two-game winning streak halted with last night's 4-3 loss to Atlanta in the opener of the series.

Alex Gonzalez drove in two runs and Joey Votto had two hits and an RBI for the Reds, who got a subpar performance out of starting pitcher Edinson Volquez. Volquez allowed three runs on one hit with a career-high seven walks in five innings of work.

The Reds will also host Houston on their current six-game homestand.

Jeff Francoeur homered for the Braves, while Kelly Johnson and Matt Diaz each knocked in a run. Javier Vazquez earned the win after giving up two runs -- one earned -- on seven hits in six innings. He also fanned nine batters and walked just one in Atlanta's second straight win.

Derek Lowe gets the call for the Braves today and he is 1-1 with a 3.27 earned run average in four starts this season. Lowe lost his last outing on April 20 at Washington, allowing three runs and seven hits in six innings of a 3-2 loss. He is 0-1 in the three trips to the mound since hurling eight shutout innings in his Atlanta debut on April 5 in Philadelphia.

The right-hander is 3-1 with a 2.86 ERA in four career games (three starts) against the Reds.

Cincinnati split its six games with the Braves last season, one year after taking six of seven from them.