WASHINGTON — Dan Uggla did his part on Monday night, but he didn’t get much help from his teammates.

Uggla hit a pair of solo homers and extended his career-long hitting streak to 23 games, but the Braves lost to the Nationals, 5-3, in the series opener.

Washington’s Rick Ankiel, a former Brave, also hit two home runs, and Livan Hernandez allowed one run over six innings to help the Nationals to the victory.

Ankiel led off the bottom of the first with a homer to center field, then added another in the fifth inning.

His homer in the fifth landed deep in the second deck in left. It was the fifth multihomer game of his career.

For Atlanta, Uggla went 3-for-4. But Atlanta starter Jair Jurrjens (12-4) allowed five runs and seven hits in five-plus innings, his first loss in eight starts.

Center fielder Michael Bourn made his first appearance for the Braves after being acquired from Houston on Sunday.

Bourn, batting leadoff, got his first hit as a Brave with a single on the second pitch of the game. He finished 1-for-4.

The Nationals scored twice in the sixth inning. Laynce Nix drove in the first run with a single, and Werth scored from third on a fielder’s choice groundout by Ian Desmond.

David Ross homered in the seventh for Atlanta, and rookie first baseman Freddie Freeman extended his hitting streak to 16 games with a fourth-inning single.

The teams play the second game of the three-game series tonight in Washington.

NOTES: Jurrjens was the No. 8 batter in Atlanta’s lineup, the first time the Braves’ starting pitcher was in the lineup outside of the No. 9 spot since Aug. 12, 1941, according to STATS LLC.

Atlanta placed RHP Scott Linebrink on the 15-day DL (lower back strain).