Dodgers lose seventh straight game as closer Edwin Diaz falters
Los Angeles dropped a 4-3 game to Arizona, extending their losing streak to seven while closer Edwin Diaz struggled after returning from injury.
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Edwin Diaz gave up a walk-off hit to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday, resulting in a 4-3 loss that marked the team's seventh consecutive defeat. The streak, the longest of the season, has seen the Dodgers outscored 46-25 over the span.
Manager Dave Roberts said, "A loss is a loss, but to get walked off never feels good. We didn’t play a clean game, a great game on either side of the baseball, but we did enough to put ourselves in position to win the game. Unfortunately, we couldn’t do it."
Diaz, who missed 85 games after elbow surgery and has appeared in four outings since returning, allowed four runs in three innings, including a ninth-inning slider that was hit for a game-winning home run by Ryan Waldschmidt. Diaz acknowledged the missed pitch, stating, "I’m just trying to be perfect with that pitch, and I’m missing right down the middle. I’ve got to be better than that. I’m a big-league pitcher, so I’ve got to make pitches. Next time when I come into the game, I’ve got to do better."
Roberts noted that Diaz’s slider, his primary strikeout weapon, has not been effective since his comeback and added, "I think he just hasn’t had the feel for that pitch since he got back. … It doesn’t feel good, but I know the track record that he’s working hard. He’s not going to run from it."
The Dodgers remain atop the National League West despite the slump, holding a 7½-game lead. However, their overall record has slipped to third in the league, trailing Milwaukee and Atlanta. Offensively, the team has struggled, with its core hitters going 2-for-16 in the recent loss.
Roberts said the club is focusing on its recent acquisitions, noting that newly acquired starter Tarik Skubal will make his first start for Los Angeles on Monday, while Blake Snell and Roki Sasaki are also scheduled to pitch in the coming days. He expressed confidence that the team can halt the slide, recalling a similar seven-game losing stretch in July that the Dodgers eventually overcame.