Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes has had a rocky season by his standards, but he had a 3.10 ERA in August to turn the tide. He looks to do his part in cashing an NRFI against the Los Angeles Angels. The Boston Red Sox and Baltimore Orioles have the arms on tap to shoot for another NRFI. The Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Guardians could get messy early and cash a YRFI wager.
Sunday’s MLB action begins at 12:10 p.m. ET, so get those bets placed promptly.
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Best NRFI and YRFI Bets Today
Los Angeles Angels at Pittsburgh Pirates NRFI (-140)
One of the few bright spots for the Angels this season has been the emergence of 22-year-old RHP Walbert Ureña. He’s 9-9 with a 2.85 ERA in 2026. Good luck getting to him in the first as he has a 0.78 ERA and 26 K’s in 23 first frames. Pirates ace Paul Skenes is widely regarded as one of the top pitchers in the league. You really wouldn’t expect to see him at 9-11 with a 3.97 ERA. He’s pitching better of late and dropped his first-inning ERA to 4.23. He has 38 K’s in 27 2/3 IP in the first this season, and he should be able to keep a weak offense off the board in the opening frame.
Boston Red Sox at Baltimore Orioles NRFI (-130)
The Sox send LHP Payton Tolle to the rubber at 8-6 with a 3.23 ERA. His first-inning numbers are good, too, with a 3.13 ERA, a .235 opponents’ batting average and 26 K’s in 23 frames. One of our NRFI faves, RHP Kyle Bradish, goes for the O’s at 7-12 with a 4.01 ERA. He has given up just two earned runs in 27 first frames for a 0.67 ERA with 33 K’s.
Detroit Tigers at Cleveland Guardians YRFI (-110)
Tigers RHP Jackson Jobe makes his sixth start at 1-2 with a 4.63 ERA. He has given up runs in the first in three of those five starts and has a 5.40 first-inning ERA. Guardians RHP Gavin Williams has been a horse all season at 13-7 with a 3.81 ERA. The first inning can be a little tricky for him, though, with a 4.18 ERA. His 12 walks in the opening frame are tied for the most of any inning he has appeared in.
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.
