Welcome to another beautiful day as we are officially into the second half of the baseball season. Let's bet on some MLB No Runs First Inning (NRFI) picks. It's a popular betting market where gamblers wager on whether the first inning of an MLB game will end with zero runs scored by either team. Pretty simple.
NRFI bets are the best because they're quick - sometimes you'll know the outcome within minutes. NRFI bets can provide an edge over other markets if you’ve done your research. I'm here to help provide that edge. As always, shop around for the best odds and be on the lookout for lineup announcements, which can significantly impact the outcome.
We went a perfect 3-0 last time out, hitting a Yes Runs First Inning (YRFI) pick with ease, as the White Sox-Twins posted seven first-inning runs. Time to stay hot. Let's dive into some games for Friday, September 4th.
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Friday's Best MLB No Runs First Inning (NRFI) Picks
Last Time: 3-0 | Season: 40-23
Chicago Cubs vs. Miami Marlins
Starting Pitchers: Shota Imanaga vs. Janson Junk
Starting out East, the Miami Marlins host the Chicago Cubs as both teams try to jockey for a Wild Card spot. Of course, Chicago is in a much better position than Miami, but anything can happen down the stretch of the season. Shota Imanaga gets the nod for Chicago, and it has not been a friendly couple of weeks for the southpaw.
The Cubs starter has a near-6.00 ERA for the month of August and can't keep the ball in the yard, allowing nine home runs over his last 22.2 innings. More importantly, he has a 5.00 ERA in the first inning across his 27 starts this year, so he has a history of taking time to settle into games.
Janson Junk will start for Miami, and he's been solid so far this season with a 4.11 ERA. But it is a tough time to face the Cubs right now. No team has scored more runs over the last month of play, especially at home, than the Cubbies, and a lot of that is from the top of the lineup.
Pete Crow-Armstrong owns a 1.073 OPS in his last 15 games with nine home runs, a lot of them to start the game off. Make sure to shop around to find plus-odds for this bet, but I see value in some early-inning fireworks.
Play: YRFI (-104 at Hard Rock Bet)
St. Louis Cardinals vs. Colorado Rockies
Starting Pitchers: Kyle Leahy vs. Ryan Feltner
Next up, we're going to get a little weird because, despite the common instinct to side with the NRFI, that isn't usually the case in Colorado home games. Of course, the altitude makes for a friendlier scoring ballpark; everyone knows that, but the Rockies have also been very bad at limiting runs this season.
Ryan Feltner gets the start, and I don't expect that to be any different today. He has a 5.84 ERA, but he is coming off a scoreless outing. The Cardinals are also among the least run-heavy teams in the opening frame all season, ranking fourth-highest in NRFI rate.
Kyle Leahy has been excellent of late with a 1.64 ERA in August. I think everyone has gone a little too far the other way against the Rockies, but I am going to roll the dice here and say they can pull off one scoreless inning.
Play: NRFI (+135 at bet365)
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Washington Nationals
Starting Pitchers: Jackson Kent vs. Blake Snell
Finally, we head out West as the Los Angeles Dodgers host the Washington Nationals. After a comeback win last night, the offense was still disappointing.
Now, Shohei Ohtani is back, and I think this Dodgers offense is ready to explode. Jackson Kent takes the mound for Washington, and he has struggled away from home. The southpaw owns an 8.64 road ERA this season. While it's a small sample size, it's not great.
Lefties have also hit better off him, so the dangerous top of the Dodgers’ order, which will send three left-handed hitters to the plate in their first projected four batters, should be licking their chops. I expect Blake Snell to hold serve on the other side of the ball, so we're going straight Dodgers Moneyline with this one.
Play: Dodgers First Inning Moneyline (+250 at BetRivers)
