Top MLB No Runs First Inning (NRFI) Picks & Odds for Friday, August 19 (2022)
It’s Friday night, and the entire major league circuit will be in action. There is a multitude of quality arms taking the hill, but I’ve pinpointed two pairings that are primed to throw up matching zeroes. So let’s dive into my top NRFI plays of the slate.
Kansas City Royals vs. Tampa Bay Rays – 7:10 pm ET
This matchup will feature two of the best young arms in the show. Getting the ball first will be Shane McClanahan. The Rays’ lefty has been absolutely lethal this season. He enters with an 11-5 record, a 2.28 ERA, and a 0.87 WHIP. Those kinds of numbers are from his electric stuff that has been unhittable at times this season. McClanahan’s strikeout and whiff rates are amongst the top seven percent of all qualified pitchers. His stuff makes him a challenging assignment in the first inning. Through 22 starts, he has a 2.86 ERA with a 0.73 WHIP and a 28 percent strikeout rate in the first inning. Tonight he gets to face a Royals lineup that ranks 25th in first-inning runs per game, and they have been cold early of late as they’ve failed to score in the first in each of their last three games.
On the other side, the bottom of the first will be the responsibility of Brady Singer. Singer has been outstanding over his last eight starts as he’s gone 3-1 with a 2.19 ERA, a 1.10 WHIP, and has struck out 58 batters over 49 innings of work. A theme during this hot stretch is a quiet first inning, as Singer has a 1.69 ERA through 16 first innings this season. He will face a Tampa lineup that has a threat at the top of the order and will be no easy task.
The Rays are eighth in first-inning runs per game on the year. However, given Singer’s ability to settle in quickly and McClanahan dominating to start the game, this NRFI is one of the best of the slate.
Pick: NRFI -143
Houston Astros vs. Atlanta Braves – 7:10 pm ET
The Braves are riding high after taking three games from the New York Mets. However, they’ll get no breaks here as they begin a three-game set with the Houston Astros. Fortunately, they get to hand the ball to Kyle Wright. Wright has had a breakout campaign as he’s taken his stuff to a new level in 2022. His breaking stuff has more spin, and he’s been throwing an average of two miles per hour harder this season. Through 22 starts, he’s allowed only eight runs in the first inning and only one via a home run. The interleague matchup should help the starters as these two teams have not seen each other since last year’s World Series.
Speaking of someone we have not seen in a while, Lance McCullers will be making just his second start of the year. He impressed in his return as he twirled six shutout innings and only allowed two hits. He did walk four, however. He’ll look to clean up the walks in this outing, and he may have some help as the Braves are a free-swinging club. McCullers has been solid in the first inning, especially the last time we saw him healthy. In 2021, he made 28 starts and had a 2.25 ERA in the first inning, and he’s gotten this season off on the right foot by tossing one scoreless first already.
Pick: NRFI -110
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