PHOENIX – The Los Angeles Dodgers, back-to-back World Series champions, are navigating uncharted territory. Their season-high losing streak stretched to seven games on Friday night after a stunning collapse against the Arizona Diamondbacks, who rallied for a 4-3 victory on a walk-off home run by rookie Ryan Waldschmidt. The 23-year-old connected on a hanging slider from closer Edwin Diaz, sending it into the left-center field seats for his second career homer and first game-ending blast.

“A loss is a loss, but to get walked off never feels good,” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. “We didn’t play a clean game on either side of the ball, but we did enough to put ourselves in position to win. Unfortunately, we couldn’t finish it.”

Diaz, a three-time All-Star, signed a $69 million, three-year contract during the offseason, but his performance has been a major concern. Over 11 outings this season, he carries an 11.00 ERA. Friday’s outing was his latest struggle. “It’s the slider,” Diaz said. “The fastball was great today, but I missed the slider right in the middle. I was trying to be perfect with the pitch, and I’m missing right in the middle. I’ve got to be better. I’m a big league pitcher, so I’ve got to make pitches.”

The Dodgers arrived in Phoenix after being swept by the Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs. Despite the slide, they still hold a comfortable 7.5-game lead in the NL West over the Diamondbacks. However, their record since July 5 stands at 10-16, a troubling stretch for a team accustomed to dominance.

Roberts acknowledged Diaz’s struggles since returning from the injured list on July 29 but stopped short of considering a change at closer. The reasoning? No obvious alternative. “Honestly, you’ve got to look at the options,” Roberts said. “The way some of these guys are throwing, they’re not throwing great, either.”

Yet the Dodgers remain a formidable force on paper. The team recently acquired ace left-hander Tarik Skubal from the Detroit Tigers at the trade deadline, adding a frontline starter to a rotation that already includes two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell, who is set to return Tuesday after missing most of the season. The lineup still boasts star power with Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts, and Kyle Tucker.

Before the game, Roberts downplayed the panic, emphasizing the need for better execution. “We’ve just got to play better,” he said. “I don’t think the standings—they’re important, they matter—but with the talent we have, we’ve just got to play good baseball, and it’ll take care of itself. It always does.”

The Diamondbacks, meanwhile, are gaining confidence. Waldschmidt’s heroics provided a spark for a team that has been chasing the Dodgers all season. For Los Angeles, the task now is to stop the bleeding before the division lead shrinks further.