Brad Ausmus seems to be taking some criticism from pinch-hitting for Rick Porcello with a lead and the bases loaded in the seventh inning Tuesday night in Arizona:

Detroit Tigers manager Brad Ausmus opted to try and break the game open in the eighth inning, after Torii Hunter had delivered a one-out two-run single to give the Tigers a 4-3 lead over the Diamondbacks.

Alex Avila struck out swinging and after Eury De La Rosa intentionally walked Eugenio Suarez with Rick Porcello due up, Ausmus brought in Rajai Davis to pinch hit. Davis was called out on strikes.

Instead of having Porcello, who got through seven innings by throwing 77 pitches, the Tigers ended up with an inefficient bullpen that allowed three walks in the bottom of the eighth inning before Miguel Montero delivered a two-out, two-run single to put the Diamondbacks ahead for good.

The move Ausmus made seems like a no-brainer to me. If the Tigers get an insurance run, the bullpen has room for error. Since the Diamondbacks had gone through the order twice against Porcello, Arizona had a good chance of hitting him better in the next inning. If anything, Davis should be blamed for not putting the bat on the ball.

The DBacks won 5-4.