Atlanta @ Washington preview

Last Meeting ( Jul 17, 2011 ) Washington 8, Atlanta 9

THE STORY: The Atlanta Braves didn't appear like they were going to make much noise during the trade deadline. After all, they failed in their bid to acquire Carlos Beltran and didn't bolster their pitching over the weekend as well. On Sunday morning, however, the Braves landed center fielder Michael Bourn from the Houston Astros, and the speedster is expected to be in the lineup Monday as they open a three-game series against the host Washington Nationals.

TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, SPSO (Atlanta), MASN (Washington)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Braves RH Jair Jurrjens (12-3, 2.38 ERA) vs. Nationals RH Livan Hernandez (5-10, 4.19 ERA).

After winning four straight starts, Jurrjens has received three consecutive no-decisions following the All-Star Game. The 25-year-old native of Curacao deserved a better fate in his last outing after he allowed just one run on six hits in seven innings against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday. Jurrjens has won three of his five career decisions against the Nationals, although he yielded a season-high six runs in a season-low five innings in a no-decision on July 17.

Hernandez is searching for his first victory since June 26. In his last outing, the 36-year-old Cuban permitted four runs on five hits in a 7-5 loss to the Florida Marlins on Wednesday. Hernandez has traditionally struggled against Atlanta, posting a 7-18 career mark with a 4.80 ERA. He dropped both outings this season versus the National League East rival.

ABOUT THE BRAVES (63-46): Atlanta made history on Sunday by becoming the second major league team to suffer its 10,000th loss. The Marlins provided the honors and prevented a three-game sweep with a 3-1 triumph, thereby linking the Braves with the arch-rival Philadelphia Phillies for membership in the exclusive club. Dan Uggla extended his hitting streak to 22 games with an infield single and rookie Freddie Freeman has hit safely in 15 straight contests with a seventh-inning single. Both will have a hard time adding to their respective streaks, as Uggla is 5-for-33 in his career vs. Hernandez while Freeman has one hit in eight at-bats. The Braves traded outfielder Jordan Schafer and three minor league pitchers to acquire Bourn, a two-time Gold Glove outfielder who leads the National League in stolen bases (39).

ABOUT THE NATIONALS (51-56): Washington took two of three from the New York Mets to put its season-high six-game losing skid in its rear-view mirror. Ryan Zimmerman led the charge by going 2-for-4 with an RBI double to extend his hitting streak to nine games. Zimmerman has fared well versus Jurrjens, collecting 10 hits in 27 career at-bats. Drew Storen remained with the Nationals after a potential trade with the Minnesota Twins did not materialize. Storen was credited with the win on Sunday, despite failing to secure the save after yielding Scott Hairston's second homer of the day with two outs in the ninth inning.

FINAL PITCH: “The 10,000th win wasn’t a big deal to anyone in this clubhouse. Same with 10,000 losses. The one thing that tells me is baseball is basically a .500 game over long periods of time. When you have a chance to be good, you need to take advantage of it – like this year." – Atlanta catcher David Ross.