"Professional athletes are creatures of habit. So it's not a reach to suggest Derek Lowe probably felt slightly off-kilter at the outset of his start Sunday.

Why? Because lying on a prison cot for several hours three nights before a start is not part of his usual routine.

"Something like that has a way of humbling you," Braves teammate Chipper Jones said Sunday. "Derek is one of the class clowns in here. He's one of the more outgoing, funny guys. He's one of the guys who keeps the clubhouse mood light. But you can see it affected his personality a little bit."

It also may have affected his performance at the outset Sunday - not that we'll ever know because Lowe wouldn't let anybody peek into his cranium.

After being arrested for DUI, reckless driving and improper lane change late Thursday night, Lowe returned to the mound against St. Louis on Sunday at Turner Field. It didn't start well. He got slapped around in the first inning for three runs and four hits, including two doubles. But returning thereafter "probably hot under the collar" (Jones' words), Lowe limited the Cardinals to one run in the next four innings.

The Braves rallied to win 6-5. Brooks Conrad (.083) delivered the game-winning RBI single off the bench in the ninth. All was well with this typically non-film-at-11 franchise once again - well, unless you count the two-week suspension to pitching coach Roger McDowell for saying unbelievably stupid things.

This certainly ranked as one of the more bizarre weekends in franchise history, but Lowe wasn't in the mood for perspective. He was lobbed a couple of softball questions about overcoming a difficult week and abruptly he cut them off. It was unusual for a player who's generally accommodating with the media vultures (though he did answer a few other questions.)

Vultures: "After everything that was going on during the week …"

Lowe: "Next."

Vultures: "Given the events of the past few days, was there any affect at all …"

Lowe: "Again, I'm not even going to - it's not even a question."

Vultures: "What's wrong with the question? That's twice you've declined to …"

Lowe: (He walks away without commenting.)

Officially, he didn't get credit for a complete game or interview."