Top MLB No Runs First Inning (NRFI) Picks & Odds for Thursday, May 26th (2022)
We’re set for 11 games on today’s MLB schedule with action getting underway as early at 12:35 p.m. ET with the Cubs taking on the Reds. A few notable matchups include the Brewers starting a four-game series with the Cardinals, a rubber match between the Red Sox and White Sox, and the Blue Jays taking on the Angels in Anaheim. It should be an exciting day on the diamond!
Here are three No Runs First Inning (NRFI) wagers that I’ll be locking in for today:
Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook
New York Yankees vs. Tampa Bay Rays
A crucial four-game series opens up tonight in Tampa as the Rays host the Yankees in an A.L. East showdown. New York currently holds the lead in the East by 4.5 games entering the series. The first pitch is scheduled for 6:40 p.m. ET from Tropicana Field with a pitching matchup featuring Nestor Cortes and Ryan Yarbrough.
Cortes has been brilliant this season, posting a 1.80 ERA and 0.89 WHIP over eight starts. Both his ERA and WHIP rank fifth amongst qualified pitchers and he’s also struck out 56 hitters, which ranks 10th overall. The left-hander last pitched on Saturday against the White Sox, allowing three earned runs over 5.0 innings of work.
Ryan Yarbrough has made three starts and four total appearances this season. The left-hander has allowed just two earned runs over his last three outings (12.2 IP). Most recently, he limited the Orioles to a single earned run over 4.0 innings and gave up six hits and no walks.
Both of these pitchers are in great form at this point in the season and I like for them to keep a clean slate in the 1st. Yarbrough sees his 4.20 overall ERA come down to 2.45 when throwing at home and he’s limited the Yankees to a .234 batting average over 77 at-bats. As for Cortes, he’s held the Rays to 10 hits over 40 at-bats (.250) and has allowed just three extra-base hits against Tampa.
Bet: Yankees at Rays NRFI (-132 via FanDuel)
Milwaukee Brewers vs. St. Louis Cardinals
Similar to the Yankees/Rays series, there are huge implications with this Brewers vs. Cardinals series. The Crew holds a 3.5-game lead over the Red Birds entering this four-game weekend set at Busch Stadium. The first pitch in the opener is set for 7:45 p.m. ET with Eric Lauer taking on Adam Wainwright.
Lauer has been exceptional for Milwaukee this season, posting a 4-1 record to go along with a 2.16 ERA and 0.94 WHIP. This will be his eighth start and he’s coming off of a great outing against the Nationals. He pitched 7.0 scoreless innings against the Nats, giving up just five hits and no walks.
Wainwright still has it in his “age-40†season. The veteran right-hander has a 5-3 record entering tonight’s game and he brings a 2.87 ERA and 1.19 WHIP to the table. His May ERA is sitting at 1.35 and he’s been dealing this month. Waino just shut down the Pirates over 7.0 innings, allowing a single earned run on four hits and three walks.
When you think of these two ball clubs, your mind goes directly to pitching. That holds true when Lauer and Wainwright are scheduled to toe the rubber. Lauer has held the Cardinals’ current lineup to a .180 batting average over 39 at-bats, including a 3-23 combined mark against Tommy Edman, Nolan Arenado, and Paul Goldschmidt. This will likely be a pitcher-dominated series, so look for runs to be at a premium this weekend in St. Louis. I expect a scoreless first inning tonight between the Brewers and Cardinals.
Bet: Brewers at Cardinals NRFI (-122 via FanDuel)
Toronto Blue Jays vs. Los Angeles Angels
The Jays and Halos are scheduled for four games this weekend at Angel Stadium. Hyun Jin Ryu goes for Toronto in the opener while Los Angeles counters with Shohei Ohtani in this matchup scheduled for 9:38 p.m. ET.
Ryu missed a month of action after his first two starts of the year, where he gave up 11 earned runs over 7.1 innings of work. He seems to have fixed the problem as he’s posted a 0.84 ERA over two starts since returning from the IL. The left-hander last threw on Friday and didn’t surrender a run to the Reds over 6.0 innings.
The 2021 A.L. MVP, Shohei Ohtani has kept his form both in the batter’s box and on the mound. Ohtani is 3-2 on the year with a 2.82 ERA and 1.02 WHIP over seven starts. He has posted a 1.42 ERA over three starts in May and he’s made three straight quality starts. Most recently, the right-hander gave up two earned runs over 6.0 innings against the Rangers in a no-decision effort.
I have absolutely no problem laying -122 juice with this bet tonight. Both of these hurlers are in fantastic form, posting sub-1.50 ERAs in the month of May. They’ve given up a combined four earned runs over 29.2 innings in May. I mean, what other statistics do we need to back up this pick? Give me NRFI in the Jays vs. Angels game tonight.
Bet: Blue Jays at Angels NRFI (-122 via FanDuel)
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