Top 3 MLB No Runs First Inning (NRFI) Picks & Odds for Sunday, August 21 (2022)
We close out another week of Major League Baseball as all 30 teams are set to take the field this afternoon. The action gets underway with a rubber match between the White Sox and Guardians at 12:05 p.m. E.T., and it concludes with the Little League Classic between the Red Sox and Orioles in Williamsport.
Below I’ve listed my top three No Runs First Inning (NRFI) wagers for today’s 15-game slate.
Odds Courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
Toronto Blue Jays vs. New York Yankees
The Bombers have been sliding recently as they’ve gone just 3-14 over their last 17 games. The Blue Jays look to complete the four-game sweep over the Yankees this afternoon as they turn to Alek Manoah to handle the starting pitching responsibilities. New York tries to snap a three-game skid as they send Nestor Cortes to the bump in this A.L. East showdown scheduled for 1:35 p.m. E.T. from the Bronx.
Manoah hasn’t been as efficient as he was to start the season, but he’s still putting up fantastic numbers this year. The right-hander comes into today’s game at 12-6 with a 2.71 ERA (9th) and 1.04 WHIP (16th) over 23 starts. Most recently, Manoah was tagged for four earned runs on four hits and four walks in a losing effort against the Orioles on Tuesday.
Similar to the Jays starter, Cortes hasn’t been as effective compared to the early going of the 2022 campaign. The southpaw is 9-4 up to this point in the season with a 2.74 ERA (12th) and 0.98 WHIP (9th) over 22 starts. Cortes posted his second straight quality start when he pitched against the Rays on Tuesday night. The 27-year-old went 7.0 innings and surrendered three earned runs on four hits while striking out three batters.
Cortes has been very serviceable in two starts against Toronto this season. He’s posted a 2.16 ERA over 8.1 innings, and the Blue Jays are hitting just .226 against him. Cortes also sees his ERA dip to 2.28 when pitching at home, and opponents are batting .176 over 59.1 innings pitched. On the flip side, the Yankees are hitting just .164 against Manoah in three starts this year. Considering the magnitude of this game, I like for both of these starters to bring their best stuff and at least keep a clean first inning. Let’s lock in NRFI in the Bronx today.
Bet: Blue Jays at Yankees NRFI (-135 via DraftKings)
Seattle Mariners vs. Oakland Athletics
Oakland bounced back yesterday afternoon with a 4-3 win to even the series at one game apiece. The A’s will try to win the series as they send JP Sears to the hill. The M’s counter with newly acquired Luis Castillo in this A.L. West clash set for 4:07 p.m. E.T. from the Coliseum.
Castillo will make his fourth start for the Mariners this afternoon. Overall on the season, the right-hander sits at 5-4 with a 2.73 ERA and 1.05 WHIP over 17 starts. Castillo has three quality starts in his three outings with his new ball club, including a 6.0-inning performance against the Angels on Monday night. He surrendered just two earned runs on six hits and a walk while striking out nine in a no-decision effort.
Sears came over from the Yankees in the Frankie Montas trade, and he’ll make his third start with Oakland today. The southpaw is 4-0 on the year with a 1.95 ERA and 0.90 WHIP over nine appearances (four starts). Sears last pitched on Tuesday against the Rangers and held them scoreless over 5.0 innings, giving up just four hits and a trio of walks.
Sears has a 1.74 ERA and 0.97 WHIP since coming over from New York. I like his chances to get out of the first inning scoreless considering the Mariners are a middle-of-the-pack team against left-handed pitching. They’re 22nd in team batting average (.235) and 16th in OPS (.709) when it comes to facing lefties. As for Castillo, I like for him to keep it rolling as the Mariners try to maintain their Wild Card spot. The right-hander doesn’t have any notable head-to-head data against the A’s, but he should be able to carve them up as they’re dead last in team batting average (.215) and 29th in OPS (.624).
Bet: Mariners at Athletics NRFI (-165 via DraftKings)
St. Louis Cardinals vs. Arizona Diamondbacks
The Cardinals have been playing great recently, and they’ll look for their seventh straight win this afternoon. Jose Quintana gets the nod for the Red Birds while the Snakes counter with Merrill Kelly in this game set for 4:10 p.m. E.T. from the Valley.
Quintana has two quality starts in three tries since joining St. Louis at the deadline. The left-hander is just 4-5 on the year but boasts a 3.38 ERA (30th) and 1.24 WHIP (44th) over 23 starts. Most recently, he limited the Rockies to a pair of earned runs on four hits and two walks over 5.0 innings of work. It was a no-decision effort, but the Cardinals won and improved to 3-0 in his three starts with the organization.
Kelly’s been a force this season for the Dbacks. The right-hander is 10-5 with a 2.81 ERA (15th) and 1.12 WHIP (23rd) through his first 24 starts this year. Kelly’s coming off of a dominant outing against the Giants on Tuesday, where he went 7.0 scoreless innings and gave up just four hits and two walks. The Snakes dropped the game 2-1, and Kelly took a no-decision.
Kelly has eight quality starts over his last nine appearances, and he’s looking to build off of that magnificent display of pitching against the Giants on Tuesday. He has faced the Cardinals in 46 at-bats in his career and given up just nine hits (.196). Nolan Arenado is 3-7 (.429), but Dylan Carlson and Paul Goldschmidt are a combined 0-9 (.000) against him. As for the Diamondbacks, they rank just 23rd in both team batting average (.233) and OPS (.680) against left-handed pitching. Considering Quintana has been pitching well lately, I like for this game to be 0-0 after one inning. Let’s go with NRFI in the Valley today.
Bet: Cardinals at Diamondbacks NRFI (-130 via DraftKings)
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