The Los Angeles Dodgers’ struggles reached a new low Friday night as a late comeback ended in heartbreak.
The Dodgers fell 4-3 to the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field after Ryan Waldschmidt delivered a two-run walk-off home run in the ninth inning, extending Los Angeles’ season-worst losing streak to seven games.
The defeat also tightened the National League West race. The Dodgers’ once-comfortable division advantage has fallen to 7½ games over Arizona, making the recent slide more significant as the regular season moves deeper into August.
Dodgers Rally, Then Lose the Lead
Los Angeles struggled offensively for much of the night against Arizona starter Merrill Kelly. The Dodgers were held hitless through the first five innings, with Kyle Tucker and Shohei Ohtani providing the only early baserunners through walks.
Tommy Edman finally broke up the no-hit bid in the sixth inning with an infield single. The Dodgers eventually loaded the bases, and Freddie Freeman’s ground-ball fielder’s choice brought home their first run.
Roki Sasaki kept Los Angeles within striking distance. The right-hander allowed two runs over six innings, giving up a solo homer to Nolan Arenado and an RBI triple to Geraldo Perdomo while limiting the Diamondbacks to only two other hits.
Los Angeles then mounted a late comeback.
Edman tied the game with a seventh-inning single, although the Dodgers missed an opportunity to produce a bigger inning when Ohtani grounded into a double play with the bases loaded.
Andy Pages put Los Angeles ahead in the eighth, launching a solo home run to give the Dodgers a 3-2 advantage.
Waldschmidt Delivers the Final Blow
The lead appeared to be enough after Tanner Scott escaped a bases-loaded threat in the eighth inning by striking out Arenado following a lengthy at-bat.
But the ninth inning belonged to Arizona.
Dodgers closer Edwin Díaz issued a leadoff walk before facing Waldschmidt. With the count at 2-2, Díaz missed his spot with a slider, and Waldschmidt drove the pitch over the left-center-field wall for the game-winning homer.
It was Díaz’s first blown save since returning from arthroscopic elbow surgery in April. The closer has now allowed runs in three of his last four appearances, adding to the Dodgers’ growing bullpen concerns.
“I’ve got to be better with that,” Díaz said afterward, acknowledging that he needed to execute the pitch more effectively.
Manager Dave Roberts indicated that he was not yet prepared to make major changes to the bullpen hierarchy, noting that the Dodgers need their current relievers to regain their form.
Seven Straight Losses
Friday’s defeat marked the Dodgers’ seventh consecutive loss, their longest losing streak of the season.
The skid has rapidly changed the complexion of the NL West. Los Angeles still owns a strong 69-47 record, but its division lead has dropped into single digits after being comfortably above that mark for more than a month.
The Dodgers also entered the game with the fourth-best record in the majors, behind Milwaukee, Atlanta and Tampa Bay.
Roberts acknowledged that the situation looked considerably different only a week earlier but stressed that the team has to focus on reversing its current form rather than dwelling on the standings.
“We’ve just got to put our head down and play baseball,” Roberts said.
Help Could Be on the Way
The Dodgers are expected to get reinforcements as they return home next week.
Two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal is scheduled to make his first home start for Los Angeles against Kansas City on Monday. Blake Snell is also expected to return from the injured list Wednesday for his second start of the season and first since May.
The timing could be important for a Dodgers team searching for stability on the mound and consistency across the roster.
For now, however, Los Angeles faces an increasingly uncomfortable reality: a team that appeared firmly in control of the division just weeks ago is suddenly trying to stop a seven-game slide while the Diamondbacks continue to close the gap.
The Dodgers will have another opportunity to respond Saturday in Arizona, with the pressure growing to end the skid before it becomes an even bigger threat to their postseason positioning.
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