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(Sports Network) - Ageless veteran John Smoltz looks for his 21st career victory against the Nationals franchise when the Atlanta Braves visit Washington today for the middle matchup of a three-game set at Nationals Park.

Smoltz, who'll be 41 in May, is 20-11 with 17 saves in 66 career appearances against the Nationals/Montreal Expos. In 297 1/3 total innings versus the club, he's allowed 231 hits and 86 earned runs while striking out 255 batters.

The Michigan native was solid in his lone 2008 outing, tossing five scoreless innings and allowing just two hits in defeating the New York Mets on Sunday.

Smoltz was 14-8 in 32 starts in 2007 with a 3.11 ERA in 205 2/3 innings.

Lefty John Lannan faces the Braves for the first time in his career when he takes the mound for Washington today.

The 23-year-old Long Island native has made seven career big-league appearances, going 2-2 with a 4.15 ERA over 34 2/3 innings in a brief stint last season before dropping his first outing of 2008.

He scattered seven hits and allowed two runs in 6 2/3 innings of a 3-0 loss to St. Louis this past Sunday.

Lannan will be attempting to halt an eight-game losing streak for the Nationals, who were shut down by the Braves' Tim Hudson in Friday's 3-0 defeat.

Hudson (2-0) continued his dominance over the Nats by allowing only three hits and two walks while fanning five batters over his eight frames on the hill. The 32-year-old is now 6-1 in 10 career starts against Washington.

The veteran righty earned a no decision against the Nationals on March 30 despite allowing three hits and two runs in seven innings.

Yunel Escobar was 2-for-4 with a solo homer and two runs scored for the Braves, who snapped a three-game skid and recorded their first road victory of 2008. Matt Diaz was 1-for-4 with two RBI, while Kelly Johnson, Chipper Jones, Mark Teixeira, Jeff Francoeur and Mark Kotsay each had hits.

Washington starter Matt Chico (0-2) got the loss, but pitched well by giving up only one run on five hits in eight innings. Austin Kearns had two of the Nationals' hits and Cristian Guzman had the other.

The Braves won 11 of their 18 matchups with the Nationals last season.