(Sports Network) - Fresh off a successful week-long road trip, the Los Angeles Dodgers return home tonight to start up a three-game series with the Atlanta Braves.

Los Angeles completed a seven-game trek against Houston and San Francisco with a 5-2 record, winning three of four tests with the Astros before taking two of its three matchups with the rival Giants. The encouraging trip has moved the Dodgers within a half-game of the reeling Arizona Diamondbacks for first place in the National League West.

The Dodgers earned a series win over San Francisco with Sunday's 5-3 decision, fueled by a 2-for-4, three-RBI effort at the plate from first baseman James Loney.

Andre Ethier also had a big afternoon for Los Angeles, as the outfielder collected three hits and knocked in a run with a sacrifice fly.

Brian Falkenborg (1-1) was credited with Sunday's win after tossing a scoreless inning in relief of Dodgers starter Eric Stults, who was touched for two runs -- one earned -- on seven hits over the first four innings. Closer Takashi Saito gave up a run in the ninth but held on to notch his 16th save of the year.

Atlanta, which resides in fourth place in the NL East and trails front-running Philadelphia by six games, will begin a six-game away swing this evening. The road has not been kind to Bobby Cox's club this season, as the Braves bring a substandard 12-29 record as the visitor into tonight's test.

The Braves also figure to a tired team after having to endure a 17-inning marathon with Houston on Sunday. Atlanta did come through with a 7-6 victory in the longest game ever played at Turner Field, with Mark Teixeira finally ending things with a bases-loaded RBI single.

Teixeira finished with three hits and three runs batted in for the Braves, who took two of three from the Astros in the weekend set. His shot off the top of the left-center field made a winner out of Royce Ring (2-1), the seventh Atlanta pitcher on the afternoon.

Chipper Jones, named a starter for the NL for the upcoming All-Star Game, went 3-for-5 with a homer, two RBI and three runs scored for Atlanta. The veteran third baseman raised his season average to a major league-best .388 with Sunday's performance.

The Braves trailed 6-4 entering the bottom of the eighth but drew even on Yunel Escobar's two-run single. Neither team would manage to score over the next eight innings.

Atlanta will take its swings tonight against Hiroki Kuroda, who is coming off a gem in his last appearance on the mound. The Dodgers right-hander limited Houston to five hits over seven shutout innings in a 4-1 victory on Wednesday, which upped his season record to 4-6.

Kuroda, a longtime member of the Japanese League who signed with the Dodgers during the offseason, was making his first start since June 12. He spent three weeks on the disabled list with a sore right shoulder.

The 33-year-old, who is 2-0 with a 3.00 earned run average in six Dodger Stadium starts this year, suffered a hard-luck loss to the Braves back on April 20. Kuroda worked six innings in that 6-1 defeat and allowed just two runs on seven hits.

Jorge Campillo gets the assignment for Atlanta tonight and will be making his 10th start of the season. The native Mexican has lost three of his last four outings, including Wednesday's matchup with Philadelphia in which he was tagged for five runs and eight hits over just five innings.

Campillo spent the early portion of this season as a long reliever but was inserted into Atlanta's injury-riddled rotation in mid-May. Over his nine starts, the right-hander has posted a 3-3 record with a 3.73 ERA.

The 29-year-old's lone career appearance against the Dodgers came in relief on April 19, with Campillo delivering two scoreless innings.

The Braves swept a three-game set the Dodgers in Atlanta from April 18-20 and has won five straight in this series. In their only visit to Los Angeles last season, the Braves split four meetings with the Dodgers.