In case the Braves needed more validation that they made a good call not trading one of their top pitching prospects for a few months of Carlos Beltran, there was Tuesday night.
Just a few hours after the Giants put Beltran on the disabled list with a strained right hand, Randall Delgado took a no-hitter into the seventh inning against the Giants before giving up a solo home run to Cody Ross in his second major league start.
The 21-year-old Delgado allowed only that one run in six-plus innings of the 2-1 extra-inning win. Then 20-year-old Arodys Vizcaino finished it off with two scoreless innings for his first major league win.
Delgado, Vizcaino, Mike Minor and Julio Teheran are the Braves’ top four pitching prospects and are highly coveted by other teams.
“You’ve got to give [GM] Frank [Wren] a lot of credit,” Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. “He didn’t panic and didn’t give up those young pitchers for just anybody. We’ve got a player that’s going to help us win ballgames with [Michael] Bourn, and you still have something left for the future with those four players.”
Delgado opened some eyes among Braves teammates with the strides he made from his debut against the Rangers on June 17 to Tuesday night.
“That kid improved leaps and bounds from his first to his second start,” third baseman Chipper Jones said. “He commanded everything. He threw his change-up whenever he wanted. He threw his breaking ball early in counts for strikes. He threw the ball in, threw the ball out, hit his spots. His poise was off the charts. Everything you could ask for.”
Jones also complimented Vizcaino, who has steadily progressed in three outings since his nervous debut in Florida. He complimented Teheran by pointing out that even he was lost in all the discussion of Tuesday night’s game. Then with a smile he said: “It makes me want to play another five years.”
Braves shrug off Ross
When Giants outfielder Cody Ross flipped his bat and took a little skip toward first after his home run Tuesday night, the Braves were doing what Ross had already done — admiring how far to left his ball off Delgado was headed.
But even after hearing about Ross’ celebratory display, and the reaction of some fans, the Braves didn’t get riled up.
“I really didn’t see it because he hit it to Lake Oconee, and I wanted to try to see it land,” Jones said. “Obviously it’s not appreciated, but Cody is not a guy who you would [think would] show somebody up. It was a big spot in the game. There was a no-hitter going on. I would be willing to write it off as just his emotion of the moment getting the best of him for a second.”
Jones did suggest Vizcaino might have sent a message to Ross with a pitch in the 11th inning. “I do recall a 97 mph pitch coming high and tight later on in the game,” Jones said. “It’s over as far as I’m concerned. We won.”
Braves sign Helms
Four days after the Marlins released veteran infielder Wes Helms, his former team signed him to a minor league contract. The Braves assigned Helms to Triple-A Gwinnett. He’ll meet up with the G-Braves on Saturday in Charlotte.
Helms, who plays primarily first and third base, gives the Braves insurance if there’s an injury and provides another veteran they could call on when rosters expand in September. Helms played 90 games at third base last season for the Marlins and could give the Braves another option at third if Jones continues to have nagging injuries.
Helms, 35, hit .191 with no home runs and six RBIs in 69 games with the Marlins this season, with whom he has spent five of the past six seasons.
The Braves drafted Helms in the 10th round in 1994. He spent parts of the 1998 and 2000 seasons here before playing his first two full seasons in 2001 and 2002. The Braves traded him to Milwaukee for reliever Ray King.
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