One of the shortest-lasting bets you can make in an MLB game is if a run will be scored in the first inning. All it takes is 6 outs to glory, and one swing of the bat can make or break your bet. There is also a lot of value in these bets because the odds are usually very well-priced, and if you’re not a fan of sweating out your bets for 3 hours then this one will take only about 15 minutes to win or lose.
There are 2 YRFI/NRFI bets I like for Saturday’s slate, so let’s get right into it.
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Houston Astros vs Seattle Mariners: YRFI (+120)
George Kirby has had an exceptional rookie season and will be the Game 3 starter for the first Mariners home playoff game in more than 20 years. However, his biggest struggle has been getting through the first inning. Through 25 starts in the regular season, Kirby had a 4.32 ERA in the first inning. Opponents hit .291 with a .351 OBP in the first frame against the rookie, and one of the teams that exploited this weakness was the Astros. Houston scored 2 runs in the first inning against Kirby in his lone H2H start, and with the way their offense is hitting right now I wouldn’t be surprised to see a multiple-run first inning for the Astros again.
Julio Rodriguez has been putting on a show in the playoffs. He was 3-for-9, including 2 doubles and a triple, in the first 2 games of the series. The rookie and the rest of the Seattle lineup will face Lance McCullers Jr. in Game 3, and the right-hander has made only 8 starts since returning from the injured list. He has a very small sample size in the first inning, but it is important to note that he has allowed 5 walks in his 8 starts. One walk is all Seattle needs to start a rally, so I see a realistic chance for both offenses to score in the first inning in Seattle.
Don’t miss our Astros vs Mariners preview
New York Yankees vs Cleveland Guardians: NRFI (-145)
Shane Bieber and Triston McKenzie have formed an incredible 1-2 punch in the Cleveland starting rotation. Similar to Bieber, McKenzie had a brilliant start in the wild-card round; he pitched 6.0 scoreless innings and allowed just 2 hits to the Rays in Game 2. Not only was the first inning scoreless in that game, but so were the next 13 innings. In 30 starts in the regular season, McKenzie allowed a .218 batting average in the first inning. He has not surrendered a first-inning run in 8 consecutive starts, and he has the benefit of starting in his home park for Game 3.
Game 2 of this series was looking like it would have a scoreless opening frame until a missed call by the umpire gave Giancarlo Stanton another chance. He made the most of it by hitting a 2-run home run on the next pitch. However, I expect Game 3 to start slow — and that means a scoreless first inning. The Yankees will start Luis Severino, who was one of the best pitchers in the first inning of the regular season. He had a 1.89 ERA and limited opponents to a .164 batting average in the first inning. He has thrown a scoreless first frame in 8 of his last 10 starts, and in a big game like this Severino will want to once again assert dominance early. Take the NRFI in Game 3.
Check out our preview for the Yankees vs Guardians game
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