"As long as I can get into a rhythm at some point before the season starts, that's hitting it at the right time," Gross said Thursday, after his two-run double gave the Brewers a lead they would never relinquish to the Giants.

Gross, who is expected to start the season as a backup outfielder, went 2-for-3 in the Brewers' 7-3 win at Maryvale Baseball Park and is 5-for-12 in his last three games. Before that, he was hitting .163 in Cactus League action.

"I'm working on making the team, to begin with," he said. "But I feel like if I make this team I can do my job as a fourth outfielder and if somebody gets hurt I can go in there and start a little bit. This is a real good chance for me."

The Brewers acquired Gross along with pitchers Dave Bush and Zach Jackson from the Toronto Blue Jays for first baseman Lyle Overbay and Minor Leaguer Ty Taubenheim. The trade freed him from Toronto's outfield logjam, and now Gross and Corey Hart are the likely candidates to fill the fourth and fifth-outfielder spots for Milwaukee.

"I felt like if [the Brewers] got me in the trade, they wanted me for something," he said. "Hopefully they want to take a look at me for more than a Triple-A 'filler' guy."

The Brewers have given Gross a long look. He has played 19 of 20 days this spring (only Hart has played all 20) and has manned all three outfield positions. On Thursday, Gross started in right field.

His slow start was a dramatic change from last year, when Gross batted .392 for Toronto and tied Carlos Delgado for the Grapefruit League lead with eight home runs.

"I walked in and for whatever reason, everything I saw was hit hard," Gross said. "Every other spring before that, it took me a little while to get going. I've always been a slow starter."

No let-up: A day after manager Ned Yost named Dave Bush to the starting rotation, Bush responded with the best performance by a Brewers starter this spring.

Working on three days' rest, instead of the normal four, to line up for an April 7 start against the Diamondbacks at Miller Park, Bush needed 71 pitches to get through six scoreless innings against the Giants. He allowed five hits, three of which never left the infield, lowered his ERA to 0.90 and improved his strikeouts-to-walks ratio to 14-2.

"I've done it a few times," Bush said of pitching on short rest. "It really hasn't affected me at all. I did it a few times last year with no problem."

Yost informed reporters of his decision to use Bush as the No. 4 starter on Wednesday, and he told the pitcher on Thursday morning.

"I know what I need to do, and that's get myself ready for the season," Bush said.

News and features:

• Brewers notes: Sheets feels 'great'

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• Brewers fall short against Rockies

• Brewers place Sheets on 15-day DL

• Brewers notes: Spot for Fernandez?

• Adams sent to Nashville; Sheets on DL

Multimedia:

• Doug Davis talks to MLB.com:  350K

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• Brewers Spring Training Report:  350K

Spring Training info:
• MLB.com coverage  |  Schedule  |  Ballpark  |  Tickets

Still talking: Closer Derrick Turnbow issued a pair of walks, but worked a scoreless ninth inning Thursday while his representatives continued talks on a multi-year contract extension.

Turnbow said his agent, Rick Thurman of the Beverly Hills Sports Council, was to meet for a second straight day with Brewers general manager Doug Melvin and assistant GM Gord Ash. Turnbow is already signed for 2006 at $466,000 but he's eligible for salary arbitration after the season and the sides are discussing a two-year extension through the end of 2008.

"It's going pretty well," Turnbow said. "It's 50-50 right now. If it's good for both sides, it will happen. I think today they were going to have some more definite numbers. If it doesn't happen, I'll go year-to-year, hopefully pitch well and things will take care of themselves."

Melvin is scheduled to host an online chat Friday at 12:30 p.m. CT. Fans must be pre-registered with MLB.com to participate.

Last call: Right-hander Kane Davis has not pitched since March 18 because of shoulder tendonitis, Yost said. ... First baseman Prince Fielder has returned from Florida, where he attended the birth of his second child Tuesday night. Fielder is expected to play Friday against the Diamondbacks. ... Carlos Lee will not travel to Tucson for Friday's game because Brewers athletic trainers want to give him one more day to rest a sore groin. "If it was during the season, Carlos would play," Yost said. ... With shortstop J.J. Hardy recovering from back spasms and second baseman Rickie Weeks close to returning from a right oblique strain, Yost said he planned to give utility man Bill Hall three starts in center field next week.

On deck: The Brewers will board an 8:30 a.m. MT bus bound for Tucson on Friday for an afternoon game against the Diamondbacks. Left-hander Doug Davis, coming off a rough outing in a Minor League game, is scheduled to start for Milwaukee against righty Brandon Webb. Lee, Weeks, Hall, Damian Miller and Jeff Cirillo are among the players scheduled to get the day off.