There are 13 games of MLB action across today’s slate. The regular season is about 80% complete, and the postseason push is in full swing with every matchup holding some additional weight. This leaves plenty of opportunities to get involved in the action. One of the more exciting wagers that has gained popularity is the no-run first inning (NRFI). A fast-paced bet that is decided with just one inning and six total outs, it is essential to identify where to get an edge. Diving into which players perform best early in games and past matchups with the starting pitcher can create this type of advantage.
Ahead of Monday’s MLB slate, here are three NRFI bets worth placing on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Twins at Blue Jays NRFI (-140)
With the first pitch scheduled for 7:07, the Toronto Blue Jays will host the Minnesota Twins. Max Scherzer will be on the mound for Toronto and is posting a 1.80 ERA across his four starts in August. Scherzer has a solid track record against the Twins, with the expected lineup going 3-for-24 against him all-time. Minnesota also ranks in the bottom half of MLB teams in hits, RBIs, total runs scored, and on-base percentage on the year. They enter this matchup without scoring a first-inning run in 11 straight games. Scherzer has held opponents scoreless in the first inning in seven of his 11 starts this season and five straight entering tonight.
Joe Ryan will be on the mound for the Twins and is in the midst of a really strong season. The 29-year-old is posting a 2.96 ERA and 0.951 WHIP with 159 strikeouts and 108 hits allowed across his 143.0 innings pitched. This includes a 2.44 ERA on the road, and he has not allowed a first-inning run in 19 of his 24 starts. The Blue Jays have been impressive at the plate this season, but rank in the bottom five in the MLB in batting average and slugging percentage across the past week. Ryan has faced the expected starting lineup in 91 at-bats, and Toronto is posting just a .242 batting average with just seven extra-base hits and one home run.
Scherzer has settled in after an uneasy start to the season, with four first-inning runs allowed in his first six outings. He should have no problem extending his five-game stretch of escaping the first inning without allowing a run against a Twins offense that is slashing .178/.200/.488 over the past week. Toronto has not been much better at the plate of late, and Joe Ryan is a nightmare matchup. Expect runs to be a grind across the board and for both pitchers to escape with a scoreless first inning tonight.
Phillies at Mets NRFI (-130)
The New York Mets have dug themselves a seven-game hole in the NL East and have a 1.5-game lead for the final Wild Card slot with just 32 regular-season games remaining on their schedule. They have seven games remaining against the NL-East leading Phillies and will open up a three-game series tonight. Kodai Senga will take the ball for New York and is posting a 2.58 ERA across his first 20 starts. Senga has not allowed a first-inning run across August. The Phillies have an intimidating lineup, but are coming off a series against the Nationals in which they put up just 13 total runs and did not score in the first inning in any game. The Phillies have also struggled greatly against Senga, posting a combined .122 batting average with no player on the roster with more than one hit in their careers.
Cristopher Sanchez will be on the mound for the Phillies and is second in NL Cy Young Odds at +450 on DraftKings Sportsbook. He is posting a 2.46 ERA on the season with 169 strikeouts and 134 hits allowed in 157.0 innings pitched. Sanchez has only gotten better as the season has gone on, with him posting a 2.05 ERA in August and 30 strikeouts in 26.1 innings pitched. Sanchez has tossed a scoreless first inning in 20 of his 25 starts and will be looked at as the Phillies’ Ace moving forward, following the injury news surrounding Zack Wheeler.
Both the Phillies and Mets rank in the top 12 in NRFI results this season, and this is a high-level pitching matchup between them. New York is hanging on for their playoff lives, and Sanchez is living up to his new label as the Phillies’ ace. Count on both pitchers to escape this NL East matchup with a scoreless first inning and for there still to be some increased intensity despite the gap in the standings.
Angels at Rangers NRFI (-135)
The Texas Rangers are also feeling a sense of urgency as they trail the AL West by 6.5 games with just 30 games left on their regular-season schedule. A lack of consistent offensive production has been the biggest reason for their 66-66 record. Texas ranks dead last in contact rate and on-base percentage as well as ranking 25th in batting average, 25th in total bases, and 23rd in total runs.
Jose Soriano will be on the mound for the Angels and enters with a 4.00 ERA on the season. The expected Rangers lineup is posting a .194 batting average with 15 strikeouts across 62 at-bats against Soriano. With Texas already struggling to make contact and Soriano generating whiffs at a high rate, expect strikeouts to pave the way to a clean first inning.
The Los Angeles Angels have also underwhelmed at the plate this year. They rank 29th in batting average, 26th in on-base percentage, 28th in hits, and 18th in total runs. Jacob deGrom will be on the mound for the Rangers and enters with a 10-5 record, a 2.76 ERA, 148 strikeouts, and just 100 total hits allowed across his first 140.1 innings pitched. The expected Los Angeles lineup is hitting .267 against deGrom with six RBIs across 49 at-bats. The Rangers also lead the MLB in defensive efficiency and fielding percentage.
This is a pick more driven by doubt in the offense compared to the other selections but a win is still a win. The Rangers have not scored a first-inning run in four straight games, while the Angels snapped a four-game streak of failing to score a first-inning run in their previous matchup. The game total is set at 7 for this game, which is the lowest on the entire MLB slate. Expect runs to be difficult to come by and for it to take a few innings for the bats to get rolling in this game.
