Braves starting pitcher Julio Teheran said he relied on his slider Wednesday against the Pirates as he came within four outs of a no-hitter.
"They maybe were looking for my two-seamer that I've been throwing a lot but I didn't use," he said. "I just keep them off-balance."
Teheran threw 79 of 107 pitches for strikes and set a career high in strikeouts for a second straight start, as he struck out 11 Wednesday following a nine-strikeout performance Friday against the Nationals.
"He mixed it up real well. His curveball, his changeup, the command of his fastball, he did a heck of a job," Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said, per MLB.com. "Today was nice, after an extra-inning game yesterday to give our bullpen a rest. Julio did that."