One of the biggest rivalries in sports renews tonight as the New York Yankees open up a four-game series with the Boston Red Sox. While the divisional storyline isn't too interesting, with the Yankees boasting a 14.0-game cushion, both teams are still jockeying for position in the overall league standings as we approach the All-Star break. Other notable matchups include the Braves looking to complete a four-game sweep over the Cardinals and the Giants starting a four-game set with the Padres.
Today's 13-game MLB schedule begins at 2:10 p.m. ET, with the Royals finishing their series with the Astros in Houston. Here are my best three No Runs First Inning (NRFI) bets for today's slate:
Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook
Miami Marlins vs. New York Mets
The Marlins make a trip to the Big Apple to open up a four-game series with the Mets tonight. The first pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. ET from Citi Field with a pitching matchup featuring Daniel Castano for the Fish and Trevor Williams for the Mets.
Castano is set to make his eighth appearance (fifth start) tonight in New York. The left-hander comes in with a 1-1 record to go along with a 2.42 ERA, and 1.35 WHIP over 26.0 innings pitched. Last time out, Castano threw against the Nationals and limited them to one earned run on four hits and two walks over 5.0 innings. He picked up the win, and Miami is 3-0 in his last three starts.
Williams hasn't been able to hold down a stable position in the rotation due to inconsistent play this year. The 30-year-old righty enters this game with a 1-5 record, 4.34 ERA, and 1.34 WHIP over 15 appearances (seven starts). Williams pitched on Saturday against the Rangers and surrendered five earned runs on five hits and three walks. He lasted just 3.2 innings while striking out three batters.
I love taking a shot with NRFI at even money in this spot. Castano pitched against the Mets on June 26th and limited them to a pair of earned runs over 7.0 innings of work. New York is just 12-54 (.222) against him, including an 0-4 from Francisco Lindor, 2-9 from Brandon Nimmo, and 2-7 from Pete Alonso. I like the young southpaw to rise and keep a clean first frame. As for Williams, he sees his ERA come down to 3.74 at home, and opponents are hitting just .247 against him at Citi Field. I'll gamble and say he takes care of a middle-of-the-pack offense in the Marlins. They're 13th in team batting average (.243) and 15th in OPS (.706).
Bet: Marlins at Mets NRFI (+100 via FanDuel)
New York Yankees vs. Boston Red Sox
It's one of the most storied rivalries in the game. The Yankees and Red Sox are slated for four games this weekend, with the opener set for 7:10 p.m. ET tonight from Fenway Park. Josh Winckowski will make his first start in the rivalry while the Yankees counter with the seasoned Gerrit Cole.
Cole is putting together an excellent season for the Yankees, coming in at 7-2 with a 2.99 ERA and 1.01 WHIP over 16 starts. The right-hander is coming off his fourth straight quality start, a game where he limited the Guardians to a pair of earned runs over 6.0 innings. He allowed three hits and three walks while striking out six in the winning effort.
Winckowski has been very serviceable since getting called up to the starting rotation in late May. The 24-year-old righty has a 3-2 record, 3.12 ERA, and 1.38 WHIP over five career starts. Winckowski pitched against the Cubs on Saturday, limiting them to two runs (one earned) on six hits and a walk over 6.0 innings. He was charged with a loss, and Boston is 3-2 in his starts.
This NRFI play comes in at -102, which is pretty reasonably priced considering how these are two of the top offenses in baseball. However, I'm going to ride with the pitchers and say they keep a scoreless first inning tonight. Over his last four starts, Winckowski has posted a 2.35 ERA and 1.17 WHIP while allowing just six runs. He's in great form, and from what I've read in the news about him, the young righty seems like a guy who can rise up in a big-game atmosphere. With Gerrit Cole, I'll bank on him keeping it rolling. He's been excellent over his last four starts (1.37 ERA over 26.1 IP), and he's shown strong signs of the ace we know he can be. Let's ride with NRFI here.
Bet: Yankees at Red Sox NRFI (-102 via FanDuel)
San Francisco Giants vs. San Diego Padres
The Giants snapped a six-game losing streak yesterday with a win over the Dbacks in their series finale. They'll take on a Padres team tonight who's just 1-5 over their last six games. The first pitch in this divisional showdown is scheduled for 9:40 p.m. ET from Petco Park with a pitching matchup featuring Logan Webb and Joe Musgrove.
Webb is putting together another solid season at the big league level in 2022. The right-hander is 7-3 with a 3.13 ERA and 1.13 WHIP over 97.2 innings of work this year. Most recently, Webb squared off against the White Sox and gave up three earned runs over 6.0 innings. He allowed six hits and a walk while striking out five in the losing effort.
Musgrove continues to dominate this year and prove that he's one of the best hurlers in the game. The right-hander comes in at 8-2 with a 2.25 ERA and 0.95 WHIP over 92.0 innings in 2022. He turned in a quality start against the Dodgers on Thursday, holding them to three earned runs on five hits and a walk over 7.0 innings. Musgrove struck out a season-high 10 batters in the losing effort.
This is a pretty juicy NRFI play at -140, but I'd say it's accurately priced considering the current form of each of these starters. More importantly, these offenses have been flatlined recently. The Padres have scored just 12 runs over their last six games (2.0 RPG), while the Giants are at 21 runs over their previous seven games (3.0 RPG). It's hard to say that these starting pitchers won't have great outings tonight, considering what's at stake in this weekend's series. San Fran and San Diego are within 4.5 games in the standings heading into tonight's action, so look for these pitchers to shove. Let's lock in NRFI here to round out tonight's card.
Bet: Giants at Padres NRFI (-140 via FanDuel)
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