Well, Brown Sure Looks Like All-Star

Kevin Brown was not selected to the National League all-star team for the first time in four years.

But Saturday night against the Seattle Mariners, the Dodger right-hander displayed the form that made him one of baseball’s most effective starters the last three seasons and sparked the free-agent sweepstakes for his services.

Brown gave up one run, two hits and struck out seven in eight innings as the Dodgers beat the Mariners, 2-1, before 50,813 at Dodger Stadium.

Adrian Beltre drove in the winning run in the bottom of the ninth with a single to left against Jose Paniagua that scored Devon White from second.

White and Mondesi walked with two out, and Beltre’s heroics made a winner of Jeff Shaw (2-2), who pitched the ninth.

“I felt comfortable, because I hit the ball two times hard, and they made great plays,” said Beltre, who walked, lined out to right and grounded out to third. “I thought it was my time.”

But the story of the game was Brown, who gave up only a solo homer to David Segui in the second and a double to Tom Lampkin in the fifth. He retired 20 of the last 21 batters he faced.

“You have to have key hitting with key pitches,” Brown said. “I faced a tough team, and to pull out a win is a great feat.

“Tonight I gave up a couple of hits and a run. That’s just the nature of the game. Hopefully, it’s something to build on.”

Brown’s performance helped the Dodgers (38-47) win their third game in a row, a feat that had not been achieved by this underachieving team since April 29-May 1.

It also assured the Dodgers of their first winning home stand since the first week of the season.

The Mariners (42-44) are 4-7 on their 12-game trip before they open Safeco Field after the All-Star break.

Brown’s outing came on the heels of consecutive poor performances.

Monday, he gave up 11 hits and was charged with six earned runs in 6 2/3 innings in the Dodgers’ 8-4 loss to the Colorado Rockies in Denver.

On June 30, he gave up 11 hits and nine earned runs in six innings in an 11-2 loss in San Diego.

Mondesi drove in the Dodgers’ other run with a sacrifice fly in the fourth that scored Eric Karros, who had doubled to lead off the inning and moved to third on White’s groundout to pitcher John Halama.

Halama, a rookie left-hander, dueled with Brown, giving up one run and four hits in seven innings.

Halama was traded from the Houston Astros to the Mariners last season as part of the deal that sent left-hander Randy Johnson to the Astros. In fact, he was the player to be named later in a transaction that also sent pitcher Freddy Garcia and infielder Carlos Guillen to the Mariners.

Halama, however, has been anything but an afterthought.

The 6-foot-5, 200-pounder entered the game with a seven-game winning streak, two shy of the club record shared by Scott Bankhead (1989) and Dave Fleming (1992).

The Dodgers had a chance to take the lead in the eighth when Dave Hansen pinch-hit for catcher Angel Pena and led off with a single to left against Paniagua. Craig Counsell then hit for Brown and sacrificed Hansen to second.

Eric Young walked. But with Mark Grudzielanek at the plate, Trenidad Hubbard, pinch-running for Hansen, was thrown out at third on the front end of a double steal. Hubbard had beaten the throw but was tagged out when his momentum took him past the bag.

Grudzielanek hit a ground ball up the middle, but shortstop Alex Rodriguez nabbed it and threw him out at first to end the threat.

The Mariners had a chance to capitalize when Brian Hunter started the ninth with a single against Shaw.

With Todd Hundley behind the plate, Shaw got David Bell to pop out to third and struck out Ken Griffey Jr. He walked Rodriguez then got Segui to line out to right to end the inning.

For the second night in a row, Griffey and Rodriguez were held in check.

Griffey, who was one for four with three strikeouts Friday in the series opener, was 0 for 4 with three more strikeouts. Rodriguez, hitless in three at-bats Friday, struck out twice and walked.