The Diamondbacks were playing for one run. They laid down a sacrifice bunt to move the automatic runner from second to third at the beginning of the 10th inning, and all they needed was a ball in play — a hit or a deep-enough fly ball — to take a lead against the Orioles.

They got a deep fly ball, all right.

Adrian Del Castillo crushed a two-run home run against right-hander Tyler Wells, which opened the gates for a three-run frame that vaulted Arizona to an 8-5 series-clinching win in Wednesday’s rubber match against the Orioles.

“This one stings big time,” manager Craig Albernaz said.

This was Baltimore’s first extra-innings matchup of the season. It didn’t go smoothly, and it continued an uneasy return to the bullpen for Wells. With the increased rotation depth Baltimore built, the Orioles moved Wells to the bullpen so he could pitch pivotal moments such as this. In eight appearances, though, he has allowed at least a run in five.

The transition from the rotation to the bullpen can be severe, and even though Wells pitched as a reliever in 2021, it has been quite some time since he was used to that schedule. For one, a reliever must be prepared just about every day, while a starter knows exactly when he’ll pitch.

Wells won’t use that as an excuse. He knew, given Baltimore’s shortage of bullpen arms, that he’d likely be throwing Wednesday. But, with an automatic runner behind him, he couldn’t limit the damage to one. Those three runs made the task more difficult for the offense in the bottom half of the frame. The Orioles went down in order and returned to a .500 record (9-9).

“There is no excuse for the way that I’m pitching right now. It’s extremely frustrating,” Wells said.

During spring training, when the Orioles moved him into a relief role, Wells said he asked for big moments. Now that he has them, he isn’t pleased with his performances.

“Ultimately, I really want to be a guy that they can rely on,” Wells said. “It’s 100% my fault. There’s no running away from it. And I asked for it. I know that some people had mentioned it in spring training, but I asked for the fire. I asked for the leverage situation. I asked for moments like that, and there’s no running away from it. It’s frustrating.”

It was an unsteady game in multiple areas, including the outfield defense. The pitching staff didn’t perform at its best, either. But there was a bright spot.

If Orioles fans weren’t aware of Jeremiah Jackson already, this homestand has turned him into a household name — and not just because it was his foul ball that broke Albernaz’s jaw. Jackson has been on a heater lately, and he continued that Wednesday with a two-run home run in the fifth.

His RBI single in the third meant Jackson drove in 10 runs in a six-game homestand and produced hits in 12 of 25 at-bats.

“Started off slow, got a few hits every once in a while, but I’m starting to backspin the ball a little bit,” said Jackson, which showed with four homers in six games. “It’s a tough game. Just going to try to continue to get good pitches, turn the page and get out there tomorrow in Cleveland.”

Sam Huff and Leody Taveras also drove in runs during the series finale to account for the five that scored in the first seven innings.

With Eduardo Rodriguez on the mound for the Diamondbacks, the Orioles finally faced their first left-handed starter. It offered a glimpse of how Baltimore plans to attack lefties, although injuries forced non-regulars into the mix. Weston Wilson started in left field and Johnathan Rodríguez in right, for instance.

Along with Blaze Alexander in center, that trio made quite an interesting outfield. And the lack of defensive acumen in the outfield for Rodríguez and Wilson showed up immediately.

“We’ve just got to clean up the defense,” Albernaz said. “That’s it. Even though our starting pitchers are talented and our relievers are talented, it’s really tough to give the other team more than 27 outs. That’s the biggest thing we have to tackle, just cleaning up our defense.”

Rodríguez’s long run came up short for a softly hit fly ball in right field in the first inning, which allowed Corbin Carroll to reach on a double. Bradish stranded him. But in the third a defensive lapse proved costly.

After a two-out walk and single, Del Castillo lofted a deep fly ball into a tricky part of left-center field, where the wall juts inward. Wilson, a utilityman who is best in the infield, got his glove on the ball. But he dropped it, allowing two runs to score.

Initially, the official scorer ruled it a two-run error. That was changed to a two-run triple, although Major League Baseball’s review over the next few days may reverse that decision once more.

“First time experiencing a ball in that corner. Bottom line, I’ve got to make the play,” Wilson said. “Got to make the play. Feel bad about it. Obviously, it’s not an easy play, but those are the ones you want to come up with.”

As it stands, though, those two runs count against Bradish, who finished six innings with eight hits and four runs against him. He allowed hard contact, including back-to-back doubles from Alek Thomas and Jorge Barrosa in the fourth. But, by completing six innings for the first time this year, Bradish took a step in the right direction.

Bradish said his fastball command was better than it has been all year, and he’s getting closer to being back where he wants to be after undergoing elbow surgery in 2024.

“I think today was by far my best outing,” Bradish said. “I was in the [strike] zone. I was very competitive. They hit some good pitches that were executed.”

Wells, by comparison, didn’t execute the way he wanted. It left him in the clubhouse postgame taking full accountability for a performance that played a role in Baltimore’s series-ending loss.

“Really just have to continue to put my faith in God and trust the process and continue to push forward,” Wells said, “and continue to be better.”

This article has been updated.