News
Lowe looking to lift spirits against Nats
Atlanta (59-54) vs. Washington (40-73), 7 p.m. ET
By Mark Bowman / MLB.com
08/12/09 12:07 AM ET
ATLANTA -- Heading into the All-Star break, Derek Lowe gained a sense that the Braves might be able to enjoy a second-half turnaround similar to the one that helped him and his former Dodgers teammates reach the National League Championship Series last year. After going into Dodger Stadium and taking three of four from Los Angeles this weekend, the Braves showed their veteran right-hander that they truly do have the potential to make some noise during the final two months of the regular season. "We've given ourselves hope, and that's what is most important," Lowe said. When Lowe takes the mound at Turner Field on Wednesday night, he'll be attempting to help the Braves gain a five-game winning streak and also put an end to his own maddening struggles against the Nationals, who saw their eight consecutive victories snapped during Tuesday night's series opener. Heading into this series, the Braves had lost 16 of their previous 27 games against the Nationals. But they have won each of the four games they've played against them at Turner Field this year. As for Lowe, he is 0-3 with a 4.13 ERA in his past four starts against Washington. "Say what you want to say about the Nationals, but they've always been able to hit," said Lowe, who surrendered four runs and 10 hits in just 5 1/3 innings against Washington on July 5. While winning six of their past seven games, the Braves have once again made themselves series postseason contenders. They trail the Phillies by 4 1/2 games in the NL East and are just three back in the Wild Card race. This turnaround has been aided by Lowe's ability to regain his early-season form. When he lost to the Nationals on July 5, the veteran sinkerballer concluded an eight-start stretch that included a 1-5 record and 6.14 ERA. In the six starts that have followed, Lowe has gone 4-0 with a 2.97 ERA. The Braves actually started turning their season around on July 7. They've won 20 of 31 games since then and eight of the 11 home games they've played since the All-Star break. "We believe that we're going to win every day instead of just hoping that we're going to win," Lowe said. "Compared to the first two months of the season, there's definitely a different feeling in the dugout and clubhouse." During Tuesday's series opener, the Braves welcomed Chipper Jones (strained left oblique) and Omar Infante (broken left hand) back to their lineup. But Nate McLouth was still sidelined with the left hamstring strain he suffered on Saturday, and there's a chance that he won't return until this weekend's three-game series against the Phillies. Pitching matchupATL: RHP Derek Lowe (11-7, 4.15 ERA)
Lowe isn't among the Major League hurlers who find comfort with the opportunity to face the Nationals. His bid to win a fifth consecutive decision was erased on Thursday night, when the Braves blew a two-run, ninth-inning lead against the Dodgers. WSH: RHP Craig Stammen (3-6, 5.40 ERA)
The Nationals were down, 6-0, after three innings against the Marlins on Thursday. It didn't help that Stammen had nothing in the tank, lasting 1 2/3 innings and giving up six runs -- five earned -- on six hits. The problem is that Stammen is leaving his pitches up in the zone. Tidbits
Javier Vazquez notched his 10th win of the season on Sunday. This marks the 10th consecutive season that he's had at least 10 wins and 150 strikeouts. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, he's just the 10th pitcher in Major League history to accomplish this feat, and eight of the others are Hall of Famers. Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and John Smoltz aren't among the pitchers on this list. ... The Braves are five games over .500 for the first time since May 26, 2008. ... Matt Minor, the club's top selection in this year's First-Year Player Draft, is scheduled to debut for Class A Rome on Aug. 20. Tickets
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• SPSO On radio
• 640 WGST, Project 9-6-1 Up next
• Thursday: Off-day
• Friday: Braves (Jair Jurrjens 9-8, 3.01) vs. Phillies (Joe Blanton, 7-6, 4.02), 7:30 p.m. ET
• Saturday: Braves (Kenshin Kawakami 5-9, 4.12) vs. Phillies (TBD), 4:00 p.m. ET
Mark Bowman is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
