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(Sports Network) - Tom Glavine returns to Atlanta this evening, as the Braves play their home opener against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Turner Field.

Glavine, who will turn 42 on Tuesday, played with the Braves from 1987-2002, but spent the past five years with the New York Mets. Glavine, though, decided to return to the place where he won two Cy Young Awards, posted five 20-win seasons and earned 242 of his 303 career victories.

The future Hall of Fame left-hander was 13-8 with a 4.45 ERA last season with the Mets, but was hammered on the final day of the regular season, surrendering seven runs and five hits in just a third of an inning, costing the Mets a chance at the NL East title and capping the team's historic collapse down the stretch.

Glavine has posted a 22-12 mark with a 3.12 ERA in 43 starts against the Pirates.

Atlanta got its season off on the wrong foot on Sunday night, dropping a heart-breaking 3-2 decision to the Washington Nationals at brand new Nationals Park.

After the Braves tied the game with a run in the ninth, Ryan Zimmerman belted a two-out solo homer off of Peter Moylan (0-1) in the home half of the frame to lift the Nats to the win. Until Zimmerman's blast, the combination of Tim Hudson, Will Ohman and Moylan (0-1) had retired 24 straight Washington batters.

Chipper Jones homered for the Braves in the loss.

Pittsburgh, meanwhile, will try to end the worst stretch in its franchise's history. At 68-94 the Pirates won less than 70 games for the third straight season and they haven't posted a record above .500 since winning the National League East with a 96-66 mark in 1992 with Barry Bonds in the outfield and Jim Leyland on the bench as manager.

Pittsburgh's 15 straight losing seasons are just one shy of the major league record of 16 in a row set by Philadelphia from 1933-48.

Four different managers have failed to restore the Pirates past glory since Leyland left in 1996, and John Russell becomes the fifth to try as he replaces the fired Jim Tracy. Russell will be working under general manager Neal Huntington, who took over for Dave Littlefield on September 25 of last year.

If Russell was following the Pirates at all last year, he will see a lot of familiar faces on this year's roster. Pittsburgh will return the same starting five that ended the season last year, while the bullpen lost Salomon Torres and Tony Armas. New additions to the relief corps include Jaret Wright and Evan Meek.

Pittsburgh will also hope its offense improves with former All-Star Jason Bay in the lineup after the Canadian outfielder suffered through the worst season of his career.

Heading to the hill tonight for the Pirates will be 26-year-old right-hander Ian Snell, who was 9-12 a year ago with a 3.76 ERA. Snell, who recently signed an $8.6 million, three-year deal that includes two option seasons, will be making the first Opening Day start of his career.

Atlanta won five of its six matchups with the Pirates last season, including all three contests at Turner Field.