Beltre Looks Right at Home

Let’s see. The Dodgers need a third baseman....

Nah, probably not. But Adrian Beltre made Dodger Stadium his home even as a visitor on Tuesday, igniting the Seattle offense with a first-inning home run and scoring four runs in the Mariners’ 9-4 victory.

“It couldn’t be a better moment,” Beltre said.

The Dodgers lost for the fourth consecutive time and sixth time in seven games. The third base carousel turned again, with Willy Aybar off and Cesar Izturis on and the Dodgers still in search of the stability and power Beltre provided there.

In his homecoming game, Beltre reached base four times, on the home run, a double and two walks. He was received with boos before his first at-bat and a mix of boos and cheers after he homered.

“I thought I was going to get booed more loudly than that,” he said. “I just went up there trying to get a good pitch and hit a line drive somewhere. I tried not to strike out. I didn’t want to get booed again.”

Beltre ranks somewhere between disappointment and disaster in Seattle. He hit 48 home runs for the Dodgers two years ago, then signed with the Mariners for five years and $64 million. He has hit 26 home runs since then, including the one on Tuesday, and Beltre suspects he would “probably not” have struggled so mightily had he stayed in Los Angeles.

His old team could use him, for this season if not for the duration of his contract. His new team hasn’t unlocked his talent. Would he wish for the Mariners to trade him back to the Dodgers?

“Tough question,” Beltre said, pausing in search of the proper words. “I’m playing here right now. I’m going to do my best wherever I play.”

For today, such talk is for your fantasy league. And the Dodgers need help for the pitching staff more than they need a third baseman. At this point, they have two reliable starters in Derek Lowe and Brad Penny.

On this night, Penny was not so reliable. He gave up five runs and a season-high 10 hits, including home runs by Beltre and Richie Sexson. In their first 13 at-bats, the Mariners had eight hits.

Penny (7-2) lost for the first time since May 1.

The Mariners scored twice before Penny recorded an out. Ichiro Suzuki led off the game with a single, and Beltre followed with a home run to right-center field -- the site of so many of his homers in 2004, and a confounding sight for Mariners fans tired of watching him try to pull outside pitches.

The Dodgers tied the score, 2-2, in the bottom of the first, on a single by Nomar Garciaparra and a wild pitch by Seattle starter Joel Pineiro. But the Mariners nicked Penny for single runs in the second, third and fifth.

In the seventh, Hong-Chih Kuo gave up two runs and got no outs. In the ninth, Jae Seo gave up two more.

In the bottom of the ninth, Izturis made his first appearance since Aug. 22 -- he walked -- and received a warm ovation. Beltre, his old friend, promised to get here early today and provide a third base tutorial for Izturis.

Sure, the Dodgers could use Beltre, or someone with a bit of pop at third base. But even though third base is generally considered a power position, Manager Grady Little said he did not believe the Dodgers needed a power hitter there.

“We’ve got a second baseman who hits a lot of home runs,” he said. “A lot of clubs don’t have that.” Does Little believe the Dodgers need to trade for help?

“I would sit here and say yes,” he said.

For a starting pitcher?

“That’s a well-educated guess,” he said.