Atlanta Braves LHP Chris Sale has been an animal all season, and he's pitching on extra rest in hopes of devouring an NRFI against the New York Yankees. The Baltimore Orioles are throwing one of our favorite NRFI go-getters against the Texas Rangers. Things could get ugly early with the Toronto Blue Jays and Philadelphia Phillies, and we could see a YRFI there.
Saturday's action begins at 3:05 p.m. ET, and that game is our highlighted matchup of the day, so strike early.
All odds are from DraftKings Sportsbook and are subject to change. DraftKings does not sponsor this content.
More MLB Predictions:
- Best MLB Home Run Prop Bet Predictions for Saturday, Aug. 8
Best NRFI and YRFI Bets Today
Atlanta Braves at New York Yankees NRFI (-125)
Braves ace Chris Sale is 12-6 with a 2.08 ERA, and he has been great all season. He's well-rested, too, as he hasn't thrown since July 29. That's bad news for Yankees hitters since he has a 0.90 ERA in the first with 27 K's in 20 frames. His counterpart, RHP Gerrit Cole, is 5-5 with a 3.42 ERA. He's strong in the first as well with a 2.08 ERA and 15 K's in 13 frames. The NRFI looks very good here.
Baltimore Orioles at Texas Rangers NRFI (-130)
Orioles RHP Kyle Bradish is one of our NRFI go-tos. He's 7-10 with a 3.79 ERA overall, and his stuff doesn't really stand out. He wears a cape in the first, though, with a 0.82 ERA and 28 K's in 22 frames. Veteran RHP Jacob deGrom goes for the Rangers at 7-7 with a 3.96 ERA. His first-inning numbers are ugly with an 8.14 ERA, largely due to eight homers allowed in 21 frames. He has kept it clean in the last 3, and he's much better overall at home with a 3.04 ERA as opposed to 4.87 on the road.
Toronto Blue Jays at Philadelphia Phillies YRFI (-150)
Future Hall of Fame RHP Max Scherzer goes for the Jays at 1-4 with a 7.92 ERA. The sands in the hourglass are getting very thin at age 42. Bad starts have plagued him with a 10.12 ERA in the first inning. RHP Aaron Nola goes for the Phils at 3-9 with a 5.55 ERA. Five years ago, this would have been one of the pitching matchups of the night, but both starters have not been good this year. His first-inning ERA is 3.91, but he has coughed up runs in two straight first frames. The YRFI looks good here in a hitters' park.
What Do NRFI and YRFI Mean in Baseball?
The term NRFI indicates no runs scored in the first inning. Its opposite, YRFI, indicates yes, there will be a run in the first inning. It doesn't matter if the run qualifies as an earned run or not. If a run crosses the plate in the first inning for either team, the wager loses for the NRFI side and wins for the YRFI side.
