Ready for His Moment in Sun

Sunscreen and a necklace made of white shells. Dodger pitcher Derek Lowe wouldn’t dream of leaving home without either one. But it’s not as if he’s going to the beach.

A frightening brush with skin cancer taught him about harmful rays.

A good-luck gift from his daughter pulled him out of a lingering daze.

When Lowe makes the first opening-day start of his nine-year career today against the San Francisco Giants, his nose will be protected and, he believes, so will his fortunes.

Expectations are high. He’s expected to be a front-of-the-rotation stopper, to pitch the way he did in last year’s postseason when he closed out the Angels, New York Yankees and St. Louis Cardinals to help the Boston Red Sox win their first World Series championship since 1918.

The moment he signed a four-year, $36-million contract with the Dodgers, Lowe emerged from the shadows of Pedro Martinez and Curt Schilling and David Wells and everyone else the Boston Red Sox deemed more mature, reliable and consistent over the years.

Be assured that Lowe will know how to protect himself from the glare.

Two years ago he woke up with a black spot on the tip of his nose. It grew until finally his wife, Trinka, persuaded him to see a doctor.

“It was as big as my thumbnail and as black as the ace of spades,” Lowe said.

Surgery lasted 3 1/2 hours. Skin was taken from the bridge of his nose to replace the deep gouge at the tip.

The good news: The cancer wasn’t malignant.

The bad news: He had to stay indoors for five weeks, and spring training was beginning in six weeks.

Lowe was coming off a tremendous 2002 season. He had finished 21-8, pitched a no-hitter and was third in American League Cy Young Award voting. But after the surgery he was not at full strength until midseason in 2003, and by then he was doubting himself.

He finished 17-7, but his earned-run average climbed from 2.58 to 4.47. The problems spilled into 2004 and at the All-Star break he was 7-9 with an ERA of more than 6.00.

Only two years earlier he started the All-Star game. Now he wanted to get as far away from baseball as possible, taking Trinka and their three children to Bermuda.

And that’s where Taylor, 5, saw a man selling the shiny shells on a string and tugged at her mom’s leg. Everybody in the family got a necklace, and whenever Taylor’s daddy would take his off, she told him to put it back on because it’s good luck.

Lowe was 7-3 in his last 15 starts, then won the deciding game in each postseason series. It took a lot of magic to reverse the curse, and it appears that little Taylor did her part.

The Dodgers surely didn’t know a trinket was included in the deal for Lowe, but he’ll have it around his neck today unless a spoilsport umpire asks him to remove it. Lowe wore the necklace throughout spring training, and posted a 2.45 ERA and gave up only 18 hits in 25 2/3 innings.

That’s the pitcher Paul DePodesta, the Dodger general manager, hoped he was getting when he signed Lowe, who was the last top free-agent pitcher available. The Dodgers had lost out on Brad Radke and Matt Clement, among others, and were forced to pay top dollar to Lowe, who was also courted by his hometown Detroit Tigers.

Lowe was miffed that the Red Sox did not try to re-sign him, but he realizes a fresh start might be beneficial. He had developed a reputation for enjoying the nightlife, although he says the Red Sox planted rumors to justify spurning him.

“If it were something that was a big deal, you would have heard about it the previous six years,” he said.

He has never been on the disabled list and has pitched in several roles -- in 2000 he had 42 saves. The opportunity to reinvent himself with the Dodgers as a dependable veteran appeals to him.

At 31, he’s no longer the kid -- surf-shop necklace notwithstanding.

“I came here to have fun, but I came here to win,” he said. “That’s the main objective.

“Now it’s time to tell younger guys what you know. I learned from the Saberhagens, the Martinezes, the Wakefields, now it’s kind of my turn.”

Lowe can lead by example beginning today. His specialty is the sinkerball. When he is going well, opposing batters pound the ball into the ground.

“I could already see in the spring that he keeps infielders busy,” shortstop Cesar Izturis said. “He’s a lot like Jeff Weaver. I like the way they pitch; it keeps you in the game.”

Lowe’s ability to concentrate is perhaps his biggest question mark. His walk total skyrocketed the last two years, and he was the easiest pitcher to steal against in the major leagues last year. Runners stole 34 bases when he was pitching and were thrown out only twice.

A porous Red Sox infield didn’t help. It is no coincidence that his numbers improved when Orlando Cabrera was acquired to play shortstop.

“I got too results-oriented and started thinking about the wrong things,” he said. “I lost track of baserunners, and what I was most disappointed in were the walks. Being a groundball pitcher, walks and stolen bases take you out of your strength.”

He walked only six during the spring, another indication he is mentally stronger. If maturity comes with enduring hardship, Lowe figures he must have gained some.

“My goal is to be consistent,” he said. “Everything I’ve been through toughened my hide a little. I’ve been up and I’ve been down. At this point, I’m ready for whatever comes along.”

But he won’t forget the sunscreen or his shells.

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Lowe Profile

A look at the career numbers of Dodger opening-day starter Derek Lowe:

*--* Year Team(s) W-L G GS Inn SO ERA 1997 Sea/Bos 2-6 20 9 69 52 6.13 1998 Boston 3-9 63 10 123 77 4.02 1999 Boston 6-3 74 0 109 1/3 80 2.63 2000 Boston 4-4 74 0 91 1/3 79 2.56 2001 Boston 5-10 67 3 91 2/3 82 3.53 2002 Boston 21-8 32 32 219 2/3 127 2.58 2003 Boston 17-7 33 33 203 1/3 110 4.47 2004 Boston 14-12 33 33 182 2/3 105 5.42 Totals 72-59 396 120 1,090 712 3.88 L.A. Times research

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