mlb.com

Lowe will look to prolong his success at Citizens Bank Park and end the struggles he's experienced during previous Opening Day starts. In the three season openers that he started for the Dodgers, the veteran sinkerballer went 0-3 with an 8.44 ERA.

His finest Opening Day outing came in 2005, when he allowed two runs in seven innings against the Giants. While starting the next two openers against the Braves and Brewers, he totaled nine innings, surrendered 17 hits and allowed 13 earned runs.

Looking to halt his Opening Day misfortunes, the 36-year-old hurler said it will be important for him to reign his emotions while pitching on a night when Phillies fans will be getting their first look at their team as defending World Series champions.

This will be Lowe's third consecutive start against the Phillies. He went 0-1 with a 3.48 ERA in two starts against them during last year's National League Championship Series. The loss came in Game 1, when he kept the eventual world champions scoreless through five innings and then surrendered sixth-inning homers to Chase Utley and Ryan Howard.

Lowe, who signed a four-year, $60 million contract in January, went 6-1 with a 1.27 ERA in his final 10 starts last year. During this span, which began with an Aug. 11 win in Philadelphia, he limited opponents to a .195 batting average. Lowe has gone 4-0 with a 2.58 ERA during his past six regular season starts against the Phillies. He is 2-0 with a 2.25 ERA in three career starts at Citizens Bank Park.

Myers is starting Opening Night because left-hander Cole Hamels missed some time last month because of inflammation in his left elbow. But Myers has been here before. He has been the Phillies' Opening Day starter each of the previous two seasons. He seems determined to make this a good one. He showed up to Spring Training 25 pounds lighter than he finished last season. He wants to make up for his first-half struggles last season, when the Phillies optioned him to the Minor Leagues.