Dodgers fall to Arizona on walk-off homer as dropping skid hits 7

PHOENIX — From the crack of the bat and the trajectory of the ball, it was instantly clear that the Dodgers had discovered a brand new technique to lose.

Dodgers nearer Edwin Díaz hung a slider over the plate to Arizona’s Ryan Waldschmidt, and he despatched it over the left-center subject wall for a two-run, walk-off homer in a 4-3 win that despatched the Dodgers to a season-worst seventh straight loss.

“I’ve got to find it tonight, tomorrow when I come to the field,” Díaz stated of his slider, which hasn’t been almost as efficient as standard this season. “Because that’s my pitch. I got a good fastball, but my slider is the strikeout pitch. And today, I missed with two strikes. … I’m still positive. I’m always positive. Just got to do my job better and help the team to win.”

For the primary time in a very long time, an in-division matchup felt prefer it had actual stakes.

The Dodgers’ current skid dropped their National League West lead into single digits for the primary time in over a month. They are actually solely 7½ video games forward of the second-place Diamondbacks.

They additionally now have the fourth-best file within the majors (69-47), falling behind the Brewers (72-44), Braves (70-46) and Rays (69-46).

“A week ago, it looked a lot different,” Dodgers supervisor Dave Roberts stated. “And another week from now, it could look even more different. So you’ve just got to put your head down and play baseball.”

They did, at the least, have a greater file than final season (67-49) on the 116-game mark. But the Dodgers would like to, not like final 12 months, at the least earn a first-round bye, and ideally home-field benefit all through the playoffs.

Their efficiency Friday despatched them within the fallacious course.

“A loss is a loss, but to get walked off never feels good,” Roberts stated. “We didn’t play a clean game, a great game on either side of the baseball, but we did enough to put ourselves in a position to win a game, and unfortunately, we couldn’t finish it.”

The Dodgers went hitless in opposition to Diamondbacks beginning pitcher Merrill Kelly for the primary 5 innings. Kyle Tucker and Shohei Ohtani drew walks, because the Dodgers’ solely baserunners earlier than the sixth — and Ohtani was thrown out making an attempt to steal second to finish the third inning.

Finally, main off the sixth, Tommy Edman — who three innings prior was robbed of a house run on a leaping seize by Diamondbacks proper fielder Corbin Carroll — broke up Kelly’s no-hit bid with a pointy infield hit.

Kelly picked off Edman at first base, however Hunter Feduccia adopted with a single, the catcher’s first hit since rejoining the Dodgers on the commerce deadline.

Ohtani and Andy Pages drew walks to load the bases. And the Dodgers lastly scored on a fielder’s alternative grounder by Freddie Freeman.

Dodgers beginning pitcher Roki Sasaki held the Diamondbacks to 2 runs in six innings. He surrendered a solo homer to Arizona third baseman Nolan Arenado within the second and an RBI triple to Geraldo Perdomo within the fifth. But he gave up simply two different hits.

“The split wasn’t as good as it has been, but he did a fine job,” Roberts stated. “He really did, and it’s good to see him, even when his best pitch isn’t there, still go out there and finding ways to get through six innings and put us in a good spot to win.”

With each starters out by the seventh (Kelly exited with two outs within the sixth due to cramping in his proper leg), the Dodgers orchestrated a comeback — after which gave up the lead.

Edman drove within the tying run, too, lining a single to left for the Dodgers’ third hit of the inning off Diamondbacks right-hander Taylor Clarke within the seventh. But the Dodgers failed to show a bases-loaded state of affairs right into a crooked quantity when Ohtani grounded right into a double play to finish the inning.

The subsequent inning, Pages gave the Dodgers the lead with a solo homer off Diamondbacks lefty Brandyn Garcia.

The Diamondbacks threatened in opposition to Dodgers setup man Tanner Scott. But he escaped a bases-loaded jam within the eighth by successful a 12-pitch at-bat in opposition to Arenado, who scored a number of foul balls down the left-field line earlier than placing out.

Scott’s fastball velocity was down 1.5 mph below his season common, the second such dip in his final three outings. The pattern was regarding sufficient for Roberts to make be aware of it after the sport.

“It took him [24] pitches to get through it,” Roberts stated. “But big pitch against Arenado to get through it.”

Díaz wasn’t so fortunate.

Dodgers pitcher Edwin Díaz delivers in opposition to the Arizona Diamondbacks within the ninth inning Friday.

(Rick Scuteri / Associated Press)

The eight-pitch leadoff stroll he issued got here again to hang-out him when, with one out, in a 2-2 depend, he missed his spot on a slider to Waldschmidt.

“I got to be better with that,” Díaz stated, noting that his supply has improved since his final outing. “I’m a big-league pitcher, so I’ve got to make pitches. So next time when I come into the game, I’ve got to do better.”

It was Díaz’s first blown save since getting back from April arthroscopic elbow surgical procedure. But he’s given up runs in three of his final 4 outings.

Roberts wasn’t able to shake up bullpen roles based mostly on what he noticed.

“You’ve also got to look at the options, and see the way some of these guys are throwing, they’re not throwing great, either,” he stated. “So we’ve got to … keep guys in their roles that they’ve earned, and [try] to line guys up and try to get them on a run back the way we were a few weeks ago. So I just don’t think right now there’s a clear-cut alternative.”

Bubic visits with workforce

Pitcher Kris Bubic throws throughout a sport between the Kansas City Royals and Seattle Mariners on May 3.

(Lindsey Wasson / Associated Press)

Trade-deadline acquisition Kris Bubic, who’s rehabbing on the Dodgers’ Arizona complicated, is making the most of the chance to be across the workforce this weekend at Chase Field.

“It’s been a whirlwind the last couple days,” Bubic stated. “Obviously, I had been with Kansas City the whole time since I was drafted. I’ve been there my whole big-league career. I’d been on the shelf for a little bit now, but to hear I was getting traded over here was pretty exciting.

“The roster speaks for itself. The success speaks for itself. The opportunity to be a part of this, to learn from these guys, all the coaches on the staff and whatnot, it’s going to be an exciting time. I’m really looking forward to getting started.”

Bubic initially landed on the injured checklist in mid-May with a low-grade flexor pressure in his left forearm, he specified. While working again from that damage, he had setbacks with an impingement in his left shoulder.

Because he has an damage historical past with each his elbow (2023 Tommy John surgical procedure) and shoulder (2025 rotator cuff pressure), the Royals didn’t rush him again. Bubic stated he had a cortisone injection on July 1 after which threw off a mound on Sunday.

“I’m kind of itching to get back going,” he stated. “But I know talking with the staff here they’ve got a pretty good plan. I’m expected to come out of the ‘pen in some capacity. At this point, I’m looking forward to getting back on the field and helping this team down the stretch.”

Bubic stated the Dodgers have already introduced him with a pair mechanical tweaks. He hopes to start a minor-league rehab task across the finish of the month or starting of September.

Homestand plan

The Dodgers plan to pitch two-time Cy Young winners in back-to-back video games in opposition to the Royals once they return to Los Angeles subsequent week.

On Monday, Tarik Skubal is scheduled to make his first dwelling begin at Dodger Stadium, and second with the Dodgers since being acquired in a commerce with the Detroit Tigers. On Wednesday, Blake Snell is ready to return from the IL for his second begin of the season, his first since May.