Dodgers’ Losing Streak Reaches Seven After Diamondbacks’ Walk-Off Homer/ TezzBuzz/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ The Dodgers suffered their seventh consecutive loss after Arizona rallied for a 4-3 walk-off victory. Rookie Ryan Waldschmidt hit a two-run homer against struggling closer Edwin Diaz in the ninth inning. Los Angeles remains atop the NL West but has fallen to 10-16 since July 5.
PHOENIX — The two-time defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers extended their season-worst losing streak to seven games Friday night, collapsing late in a 4-3 defeat to the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Los Angeles entered the final inning in position to end its slide, but rookie Ryan Waldschmidt hit a two-run, walk-off home run against closer Edwin Diaz to complete Arizona’s comeback.
The defeat followed consecutive series sweeps by the Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs, deepening an uncharacteristic slump for one of baseball’s most talented teams.
Waldschmidt delivered the decisive hit when Diaz left a slider over the middle of the plate.
The rookie drove the pitch into the left-center field seats for his second career home run and his first major league walk-off homer.
The home run turned a potential Dodgers victory into another painful defeat and raised further questions about Diaz’s role at the back end of the bullpen.
Diaz has an 11.00 ERA through 11 appearances this season, providing little stability since returning from the injured list on July 29.
The three-time All-Star joined Los Angeles during the offseason on a three-year contract worth $69 million. The Dodgers expected the 32-year-old to become a reliable late-inning option, but his early results have fallen well short of those expectations.
Roberts acknowledged that Diaz has struggled since being activated. However, the manager did not commit to replacing him as closer because the Dodgers do not have an obvious alternative.
The bullpen’s broader inconsistency leaves Roberts with a difficult choice as the Dodgers try to stop their losing streak without an established replacement for Diaz.
Despite the seven-game skid, the Dodgers retain a comfortable lead in the National League West.
Los Angeles remains 7 1/2 games ahead of Arizona, though its recent form has allowed the Diamondbacks to reduce the gap.
The Dodgers are now 10-16 since July 5, a significant downturn for a club seeking its third consecutive World Series championship.
Their place in the standings provides some cushion, but the nature of the losses has exposed defensive, pitching and execution problems that could become more concerning if the slump continues.
Los Angeles still has one of baseball’s most formidable rosters and strengthened its pitching staff at the trade deadline.
The Dodgers acquired ace left-hander Tarik Skubal from the Detroit Tigers last week, adding another elite arm for the stretch run and postseason.
Two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell is also expected to return Tuesday after injuries kept him sidelined for most of the season.
The anticipated return of Snell, combined with the addition of Skubal, could stabilize the rotation and ease pressure on an inconsistent bullpen.
The Dodgers also continue to feature one of the league’s most powerful lineups.
Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts and Kyle Tucker give Los Angeles the offensive talent to recover quickly from its recent struggles.
However, the Dodgers have not consistently translated that star power into clean, complete performances during the losing streak.
Before Friday’s game, Roberts said the solution was straightforward.
Instead, Los Angeles suffered another late collapse and remained stuck in its longest losing streak of the season.
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