Brandon McCarthy makes Dodgers debut in finale vs. Padres

LOS ANGELES -- While wondering which bullpen the Dodgers will see in their third game of the season, there is the matter of getting there first, which puts the onus on Brandon McCarthy in his Dodger Stadium debut against the Padres in Wednesday night's series finale.

In the first two games of the season, both Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke delivered quality starts, but were both done after six innings after having thrown 99 and 94 pitches respectively. San Diego hit 18 foul balls off of Kershaw and 20 off Greinke, but that isn't really too far out of the norm. Kershaw last year averaged 21 fouls per game while Greinke averaged 17.

McCarthy averaged 19 foul strikes per game in 2014, and lasted at least six innings in 24 of his 32 starts last year, his first season reaching the 200-inning barrier.

The 31-year-old right-hander is 4-1 with a 2.43 ERA in six career starts against the Padres, all in the last two seasons, including 26 strikeouts and only three walks in 40⅔ innings.

Padres starter Andrew Cashner is 1-2 in 17 career games against the Dodgers, including six starts, but his ERA is a miniscule 1.53, with 45 strikeouts and 19 walks in 53 innings.

Gonzalez on fire

Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez has started off on a hot streak, going 6-for-9 with two home runs and two doubles in his first two games. The only Dodgers ever to hit home runs in each of the first three games of the season were Jimmy Wynn in 1974 and Carl Furillo in 1955, both World Series years for the Dodgers.

Gonzalez also has three hits in each game so far. No Dodger, at least dating back to 1914, has had three or more hits in each of the first three games of the season.

Gonzalez hit .317/.377/.644 with eight home runs in 27 games last (March and) April.

Game info

Time: 7:10 p.m. PT

TV: SportsNet LA, ESPN2 (the latter blacked out in the Los Angeles era)