Brown at Home in Dome

Kevin Brown doesn’t search for answers when things are going well.

The Dodger pitcher wasn’t asking questions Wednesday night after pitching a four-hit complete game in a 2-1 victory over the Houston Astros at the Astrodome.

Brown (12-6) was often unhittable, mixing an assortment of pitches. His fastball was clocked at 96 mph in the ninth inning of his 121-pitch effort.

Moreover, Brown continued his domination of the Astros.

Brown improved to 3-0 with a 0.85 earned-run average in his last four games against Houston (two with the Dodgers). In his last 17 innings at the Astrodome, Brown has given up only six hits and one run with 23 strikeouts.

“I guess timing is everything,” Brown said. “You don’t ask for explanations when things are going well. You just take the results.”

Brown was so good he won despite the Dodgers’ typically pathetic offensive support. The Dodgers staked Brown to a 1-0 lead in the second on Adrian Beltre’s two-out, run-scoring single. Beltre drove in Raul Mondesi, who doubled with one out and advanced to third on Devon White’s groundout.

White scored the Dodgers’ second run in the seventh to give Brown a 2-0 lead. White opened the inning with an infield single, advanced to second on a throwing error by Houston starter Chris Holt (2-11) and to third on a groundout by Beltre.

He scored from third on a fielder’s choice by Craig Counsell, and that was it for the Dodger offense. Holt’s error was costly because Derek Bell drove in Jeff Bagwell in the ninth with a two-out double to cut the Dodgers’ lead to 2-1. Daryle Ward then flied out to end the game.

“I would have liked to get that third out a little easier,” said Brown, who had more problems with the crumbling Astrodome mound than with Astro batters. “But the important thing is to win.”

*

Pitcher Antonio Osuna has decided to postpone undergoing surgery to have a torn ligament in his throwing elbow repaired, team officials said.

Osuna was scheduled to undergo surgery today at Centinela Hospital Medical Center in Inglewood. He is considering his options.

DODGERS’

ISMAEL VALDES

(8-9, 3.33 ERA)

vs.

ASTROS’

SHANE REYNOLDS

(13-7, 3.71 ERA)

Astrodome, 10:30 a.m. PDT.

Radio--KXTA (1150), KWKW (1330).

* Update--Valdes has pitched at least seven innings in eight of his last nine starts. He has given up only 11 earned runs in his last 42 innings.