Brett Anderson makes Dodgers debut in series opener against Diamondbacks

The Dodgers turn to Brett Anderson for his debut with the team on Friday night against the Diamondbacks, the team that drafted him in 2006. It is Anderson's first career game at Chase Field, too.

Anderson was only in the D-backs' system for a year and a half before he was traded to the Athletics in December 2007, a 5-for-2 trade that saw Carlos Gonzalez and Chris Carter (and not yet old friend Dana Eveland) go to Oakland, with Dan Haren the big prize of the two players received by Arizona.

One year later, Anderson helped fill the hole left by Haren in Oakland's rotation, and now he replaces Haren in Los Angeles, though the one big difference is that in 2015 the Dodgers are paying $10 million to both Anderson and Haren, the latter who makes his Marlins debut on Friday evening.

Anderson was a ground ball machine in spring training, inducing 29 ground ball outs and one fly ball out (plus one home run) in his five Cactus League starts, to go with his 2.87 ERA. He also made a fan in manager Don Mattingly.

"He throws a baseball right where he wants. I've really been impressed. With his stuff, the way he goes about his business. There has really been nothing not to like," Mattingly said on Wednesday. "He's been zero maintenance as far as the clubhouse and his work, he's doing everything he's supposed to do. He blends into the woodwork in a sense."

Might Anderson be the first Dodgers starting pitcher to be on the mound in the seventh inning this season? The starters have lasted 17 total innings in the first three games, with nobody past six innings.

Then again the bullpen did have Thursday off and will get help on Friday in the form of Ryan Webb, acquired from the Orioles on Thursday. It is expected that Webb will be added to the active roster before Friday's series opener.

We will find out on Friday if Thursday's off day cooled off Adrian Gonzalez, who has five home runs in three games, and is hitting a robust .769/.769/2.077. If Gonzalez hits a double in his first at-bat on Friday, his slugging percentage goes down.

Gonzalez has three or more hits in each of the first three games of the season. Since 1914, only one major league player did so in the first four games of the year - outfielder Gee Walker for the 1937 Tigers. Walker ended his streak by only getting two hits in his fifth game that year, but also extended his season-opening hit streak to 27 games, during which he hit .420/.463/.643.

Gonzalez also has a home run in five consecutive regular season games, dating back to 2014, which ties the Dodgers franchise record, along with Roy Campanella, Shawn Green and Matt Kemp.

In his career Gonzalez has feasted at Chase Field, hitting .342/.412/.654 with 20 home runs in 65 games, including .450/.507/.850 with seven home runs in 18 games in the last two seasons. Gonzalez last year was 2-for-6 with a home run and two walks in three games against Chase Anderson, starting Friday night for the Diamondbacks, though the home run came at Dodger Stadium.

Game info

Time: 6:40 p.m. PT

TV: SportsNet LA