Tyler Thornburg didn’t make the Brewers’ rotation, but has been solid out of the bullpen this season. Credit: Reuters

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Philadelphia — When the Brewers were making their final decision on their pitching staff at the end of spring training, this is the question they pondered:

Would it be better to send promising right-hander Tyler Thornburg to Class AAA Nashville to stay ready as a starting pitcher should they need help or keep him as a relief pitcher and see how he fits in?

The Brewers opted for the latter, which is looking like a pretty smart decision at this early stage of the season. With two shutout innings Wednesday night and yet another Thursday evening, Thornburg lowered his earned run average to 1.29 in five outings.

In seven innings, Thornburg has allowed four hits and one run with no walks and nine strikeouts.

"(General manager) Doug (Melvin) thought, and myself too, the year he had for us last year, he kind of deserved to start with us," said manager Ron Roenicke. "He threw really well in spring training. His last few outings weren't quite as good, but he really threw well. But we thought that we needed him on this team and we needed him in the bullpen."

The original plan was for Thornburg to pitch in middle relief or at the end of games if they went into extra innings because he was stretched out as a starter in spring training. But Roenicke has been using him with games on the line, a sign of confidence.

"The way he's pitched; he's pitching so good where I feel good any time I bring him in a game," said Roenicke.

"His off-speed stuff is so good. He was painting some fastballs and I look up and see they're 94-95 mph. Then with a plus curveball and plus changeup, it doesn't matter if the hitter is right-handed or left-handed. He's got real good stuff."

Thornburg wouldn't complain if he were in the starting rotation, but the next-best thing is pitching in relief with games on the line. And pitching multiple innings is no big deal at all.

"I think it's big for us because we've been using Will (Smith) and 'Kintz' (Brandon Kintzler) so much," said Thornburg. "Anytime you can cover the seventh and eighth inning and give those guys the night off, we're going to need them over the entire season.

"It's just a matter of getting used to it. Obviously, I haven't been relieving consistently for an extended period of time. Once I get used to doing it, hopefully I'll bounce back quicker and feel even better."

Roenicke said he's not sure yet how often in a week he can use Thornburg, particularly if he goes more than three outs.

"That's something we have to find out," said Roenicke. "He hasn't really been in this role before so I (had) to ask him how he feels today.

"It's new with him and it's also new with Will Smith. I don't know how many days he can go back-to-back. You've got to cover these innings. If the starter goes six innings, every night you need three people.

"You can't continue to do that if you're winning a lot of games. You can't always use your top guys."

Gomez is golden: Fans who attend the Brewers' game against Pittsburgh on Saturday will get to witness a rare sight: a Brewer receiving a Gold Glove Award.

Carlos Gomez, the 2013 winner for the NL in center field, will be presented his Rawlings Gold Glove Award in a pregame ceremony at 6 p.m. Gomez was the first Brewer to win a Gold Glove since shortstop Robin Yount in 1982, the longest drought among major-league clubs.

Gomez actually was presented with the trophy in New York in November and posed for a photo with Willie Mays that appears in the Brewers' media guide. The award then was shipped by Rawlings to the team so Gomez could receive it at Miller Park.

"It makes sense, they give it to you in front of your own fans," said Gomez. "I'm trying to continue the good job to get more. I don't think one is enough. To be one of the best, you have to be consistent about it."

Appealing to MLB: The Brewers plan to send video to MLB offices of the play in which Logan Schafer drove in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning Wednesday night with a bouncer down the first-base line that Philadelphia's Ryan Howard couldn't get to. Howard was charged with an error and the Brewers thought Schafer should have been given an RBI double.