The 2026 MLB season continues on Wednesday with all 30 teams in action. Several compelling games are scheduled, including a National League collision between the San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers. A doubleheader between the Toronto Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles will surely draw attention on the American League side. Sports bettors wanting to get in on the action without sweating through an entire nine-inning contest can turn to MLB No Runs First Inning (NRFI) picks for a quick result. Here are two NRFI picks that stick out from the rest on this week's hump day.
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Wednesday's Best MLB No Runs First Inning (NRFI) Picks
(Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)
Cleveland Guardians (+114) at Boston Red Sox (-134)
Starting Pitchers: Foster Griffin vs. Sonny Gray
Two squads battling for playoff positioning meet at Fenway Park on Wednesday. The Guardians will hand the ball to Foster Griffin (15-5, 3.67 ERA), while the Red Sox counter with Sonny Gray (17-5, 2.82 ERA).
Focusing on Cleveland road games has been a fruitful strategy in the NRFI department. There has been a scoreless first inning in 44 of the Guardians’ 76 away contests (58%). That’s the fourth-highest NRFI cash rate in the Majors.
Gray has been feeding off the passion of the Boston faithful all year, firing a clean opening frame in nine of his 13 home starts. Limiting opponents to a .222 batting average in the first inning has helped the veteran hurler stay out of trouble.
Take note that the Guardians have struggled on the road. Their offense ranks 27th in road OPS (.680) and 26th in runs per game (4.14) on the road. Trust Gray to exploit a great matchup.
On the other side, Griffin has not let hostile environments bother him in 2026. The crafty southpaw has escaped the first inning unscathed in 12 of his 15 away outings. Getting ahead in the count will be crucial for him, considering he is allowing a .233 on-base percentage (OBP) in that situation.
Back Griffin to get the job done against a Boston lineup that has logged the fewest first-inning runs in the American League (68).
Pick: NRFI (-130)
Tampa Bay Rays (+134) at New York Yankees (-158)
Starting Pitchers: Ian Seymour vs. Gerrit Cole
The Rays will visit the Yankees on Wednesday, fresh off clinching an American League East title on Tuesday evening. Tampa Bay’s Ian Seymour (9-7, 4.38 ERA) and New York’s Gerrit Cole (9-9, 3.63 ERA) will toe the rubber in the Bronx.
Slow starts at the plate have been commonplace in this divisional rivalry. There’s been zero first-inning runs scored in eight of the 11 clashes between the Rays and Yankees this campaign.
Cole remains a reliable arm during his 11th year as a pro. The six-time All-Star has recorded a career-low 4.4% walk rate and held batters to a .216/.266/.318 triple slash line with runners in scoring position.
Those strengths have helped him toss a scoreless opening frame in 16 of his 21 starts. It’s worth noting that Tampa Bay has tallied only eight extra-base hits in 149 at-bats against Cole. The pitcher has the advantage in this spot.
The absence of slugger Aaron Judge still looms large for the Yankees. New York has failed to create early momentum. Its offense has posted the league’s lowest first-inning OBP at .287 and the third-lowest OPS in innings one to six (.697). Seymour boasts an elite strikeout rate (29%) and has kept opponents from scoring in the first inning in 11 of his 15 starts this season.
Lock in an NRFI with confidence.
Pick: NRFI (-142)
