SPORTSTICKER NL PREVIEW ATLANTA (Ticker) -- Bruce Chen makes his first start of the season for the Atlanta Braves tonight when he faces the Chicago Cubs as the teams continue a four-game series at Turner Field. Chen (NR) was expected to be Atlanta's fifth starter but did not make the trip north after an ineffective spring. He was 1-2 with a 6.00 ERA in five exhibition games, allowing 23 hits and 12 walks in 18 innings. Chen was 3-2 with a 2.30 ERA in eight starts at Triple-A Richmond, allowing 37 hits in 47 innings with 13 walks and 53 strikeouts. The lefthander leads the International League in strikeouts and is third in ERA. Lance Johnson's sacrifice fly in the top of the 12th inning scored Benito Santiago with the go-ahead run as the Cubs blew a five-run lead before defeating the Braves, 6-5, on Thursday. The Cubs are 4-0 on a seven-game road trip and have won six of their last seven games overall. Rookie Kyle Farnsworth (2-0, 4.94 ERA) is on the mound for Chicago. The righthander is unbeaten in four starts with two wins and a pair of no-decisions. He allowed three runs and five hits in seven innings and did not have a decision against Atlanta on Sunday. Atlanta had a four-game winning streak stopped with Thursday's loss.  