Alex Gonzalez and Freddie Freeman hit solo homers to help rookie starter Randall Delgado earn his first major league victory as the Atlanta Braves defeated the host Florida Marlins 4-0 on Tuesday.

Atlanta maintained its 2 1/2-game lead in the National League wild card race over the St. Louis Cardinals, who defeated the New York Mets 11-6 on Tuesday.

Delgado (1-1) allowed five hits in five shutout innings, and Cristhian Martinez and Anthony Varvaro each pitched two shutout innings.

Gonzalez hit his 15th homer in the second off Anibal Sanchez (8-9), who struck out six in five innings. Sanchez retired 11 straight batters after the Braves scored three runs in the second.

Freeman hit his 20th homer in the sixth to become the first Atlanta rookie to reach that plateau since Chipper Jones in 1995.

Gonzalez left the game after straining his right calf while running bases in the sixth.