Game 3 Preview: Brandon McCarthy Debuts In Rubber Match Vs. Padres

After splitting the first two games of the series, the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres face off in the rubber match Wednesday night at Dodger Stadium.

Brandon McCarthy makes his regular-season debut and is coming off a year in which he went 10-15 with a 4.05 ERA. While McCarthy finished below .500, he was much better after being traded from the Arizona Diamondbacks to the New York Yankees in July, going 7-5 with a 2.89 ERA in 14 starts.

The 31-year-old is now back in the NL West and looks to provide stability to the backend of the rotation. The Padres counter with hard-throwing right-hander Andrew Cashner.

Cashner was the Padres Opening Day starter last season and he finished with a 5-7 record and 2.55 ERA. Cashner has been dominant against the Dodgers over his career, posting a 1.53 ERA in six starts and 11 relief appearances.

The Dodgers lineup, which struggled against Tyson Ross Tuesday night, is the same tonight. Adrian Gonzalez has been on a tear against his former team, hitting two home runs in as many games and posting consecutive three-hit games.

The new double play combination of Jimmy Rollins and Howie Kendrick are both also off to good starts, with four extra base hits and five RBIs between them through the first two games. With Jedd Gyorko managing just one hit in his first seven at-bats, the Padres make a change at second base to go with Yangervis Solarte.

Dodgers Lineup:

SS: Jimmy Rollins

RF: Yasiel Puig

1B: Adrian Gonzalez

2B: Howie Kendrick

C: Yasmani Grandal

LF: Carl Crawford

3B: Juan Uribe

CF: Joc Pederson

P: Brandon McCarthy

Padres Lineup:

CF: Wil Myers

C: Derek Norris

RF: Matt Kemp

LF: Justin Upton

3B: Will Middlebrooks

1B: Yonder Alonso

2B: Yangervis Solarte

SS: Alexi Amarista

P: Andrew Cashner

Yasmani Grandal Defends Dodgers bullpen