Thornton (5-9) allowed no hits and a walk while striking out seven across five scoreless innings to earn the win Wednesday against the Red Sox.
Thornton entered the game in the third inning to work as the primary pitcher behind Wilmer Font. He was given eight runs of support across his first two innings, but he didn't need much while allowing only one baserunner across his five frames and closing his stellar outing by retiring 13 consecutive batters. While Thornton's first 28 appearances of the season came as a traditional starter, his usage to close the season remains unclear. However, he should pitch next in some capacity on Tuesday at Baltimore.