Dodgers-Brewers Open Season Today

The Dodgers open the 2007 season today (Monday). Right-hander Derek Lowe will face Brewers right-hander Ben Sheets at 1:05 a.m. Central Time. It is the first time the Dodgers have opened on the road against the Brewers, in fact they have only opened with them once before when in 2001 Chan Ho Park beat them 1-0 in Dodger stadium with the help of Jeff Shaw late in the game

Starting lineup for the Dodgers will be:
Juan Pierre cf
Russell Martin c
Luis Garciaparra 1b
Jeff Kent 2b
Luis Gonzalez lf
Wilson Betemit 3b
Andre Ethier rf
Ramon Martinez ss
Derek Lowe p


Lowe will be making his third opening day start for the Dodgers, having lost 4-2 to San Francisco in 2005 and 11-10 to Atlanta in 2006. They lost in 2004 when Hideo Nomo was battered 8-2 by San Diego, so they will be looking to break a three-game losing streak.

Opening Day, with all its pomp and curcumstance, has never really been the Dodgers thing. They lost their opening game in the National League 15-9, lost their Ebbets Field opener 1-0, lost to the Giants 8-0 in the first game on the West coast 8-0 and lost their opener in Dodger Stadium 6-3. They have also lost four of the last five opening games.

Despite the valiant come-from-behind effort, they left 13 on base in the 11-10 loss to Atlanta last season. It was the first time in franchise history the team scored in double figures on opening day but lost.

The Los Angeles Dodgers are only 26-23 in opening day games (.531), while their record in Brooklyn record was 36-31 (.537) --with one tie -- giving them a 62-54 record in franchise history, a middling .526 winning percentage.

While the Los Angeles and Brooklyn franchises are considered brothers, their tendencies show few family traits on opening day.

In Brooklyn, the club was 26-13 on the road for a spectacular .667 percentage but only 10-18 at home, a dismal .357, in cozy Ebbets Field.

Meanwhile their blood kin in Los Angeles, on the strength of a 14-9 record, has won at a sizzling .609 clip in the Coliseum and Dodger Stadium, while on the road they are only 12-14 or .462 for an overall 26-23 mark (.531).

The last dozen openers:

year   score  w/l  opponent pitcher of record
1994  4-3   W  Florida Hershiser
1995  8-7   W  at Florida Martinez
1996  4-3   W  at Houston Martinez
1997  0-3   L  Philadelphia Martinez
1998  0-6   L  at St. Louis Martinez
1999  8-6   W  Arizona Brown
2000  10-4  W  at Montreal Brown
2001  1-0   W  Milwaukee Park
2002  2-9   L  San Francisco Brown
2003  8-0   W  at Arizona Nomo
2004  2-8   L  San Diego Nomo
2005  2-4   L  at San Francisco Lowe
2006  10-11 L  Atlanta Lowe