Tigers’ Brad Ausmus softens four-out save stance in ‘must-win’ against Red Sox

12:55 AM ET

BOSTON — Detroit Tigers manager Brad Ausmus has been reluctant to use closer Francisco Rodriguez in a four-out save situation this season, and he has endured a hefty amount of criticism for that stance.

On Monday, he made the rare exception and brought in Rodriguez to get the Tigers out of a two-out, bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the eighth inning against the Boston Red Sox.

That decision paid off in the form of a 4-2 Tigers victory at Fenway Park, as the team beat the Red Sox in the first meeting of the two clubs this season.

Ausmus, who has only used his 34-year-old closer in such a situation once previously this season (in a win over the Los Angeles Angels on June 1), cited a multitude of reasons that prompted him to relent.

“The stars have to align a little bit. First of all, it has to be a game I feel like we really need to win — a must-win, stop a slide, whatever it is. But secondly, it’s got to kind of line up,” Ausmus explained. “Tonight, if [reliever] Justin Wilson doesn’t get [Red Sox outfielder Brock] Holt out, I end up going to Alex Wilson against [Red Sox outfielder Mookie] Betts. I don’t want to ask K-Rod to get a five-out save. So I mean, some things have to align as well.”

Francisco Rodriguez celebrated a four-out save for the Tigers on Monday. Rich Gagnon/Getty Images

In terms of satisfying the first …

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