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Aug 8, 2009 - 8:26 AM By DAN PIERINGER STATS Writer

Atlanta (56-54) at Los Angeles (67-43), 10:10 p.m. EDT

A major league-record 148th career ejection cost manager Bobby Cox a dugout view of a 12-inning thriller, as well as the latest offensive outburst from an Atlanta Braves club that's struggled at the plate for most of the season.

The visiting Braves look to build on another strong offensive showing as they continue a four-game series against the scuffling Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday night.

Cox was tossed Friday night in the fifth inning of a 2-2 game, his fifth ejection of the year. Two batters after Cox's dismissal, Casey Blake hit a three-run homer for Los Angeles. But Atlanta (56-54) battled back, eventually tying the game in the ninth inning and plating four runs in the 12th to win 9-5.

The Braves have averaged 7.0 runs and batted .338 while winning three of their last four. They've recorded at least 10 hits in each of those games, putting them in position to reach double figures in five straight for the first time this season.

It's been a welcome change of pace for Atlanta, which has been held to three runs or fewer 48 times this season, going 6-42.

Yunel Escobar, 7 for 18 (.389) over his last four games, drove in the go-ahead run in the 12th with a single, lifting his average with runners in scoring position to .419.

"He hits the ball. He's a line drive gapper. Guys like that are going to drive in runs," Cox said. "It's pretty good coming back from three runs down."

The Braves likely will have to try to continue their hot hitting without Chipper Jones. The All-Star third baseman was scratched from Friday's lineup after batting practice because of an injury to the oblique muscle on his left side.

"I was just swinging and took a little bit of an awkward swing," Jones said. "I felt a pull and a bad burn in my side. This one hurt pretty bad. It took the breath right out of me. It spasmed up on me while I was in here icing.

"Right now I'm day-to-day, but I'd say I'm doubtful for the next two days."

While the Braves have come alive at the plate to keep themselves in the thick of the wild card race, the Dodgers (67-43) have allowed the NL West race to get a little more interesting by dropping nine of 15.

They still have a comfortable 6 1/2-game lead over Colorado and San Francisco, but it's the longest slump of the season for a Los Angeles team that had baseball's best record for most of the first half.

"You can't win them all," starter Chad Billingsley told the Dodgers' official Web site Friday. "It happens. We've got to come back tomorrow."

The Dodgers will turn to Clayton Kershaw (8-6, 2.89 ERA) to get them back on track. The 21-year-old left-hander gave up three runs while walking six over four innings of a 6-5 loss to Milwaukee on Monday. He hadn't given up three earned runs in any of his nine starts since his last defeat June 10 against San Diego.

Dodgers manager Joe Torre isn't concerned about Kershaw's uncharacteristic outing Monday.

"We all know what his ability is, and we all know how well he's been pitching, it's not like he pitched well once or twice," Torre said. "He's been out there and certainly has pitched in very tough situations. This game is not perfect. It's one of those games where he didn't do well."

Kershaw, who has a 2.06 ERA at Dodger Stadium, has never faced the Braves.

Kenshin Kawakami (5-9, 4.38) will start for Atlanta, which has lost all four games started by the right-hander since the All-Star break. The 34-year-old rookie from Japan is 0-3 with a 4.84 ERA in those games. He gave up three runs in six innings in a 4-2 loss at San Diego on Monday.

Kawakami is making his first start against the Dodgers.