More baseball means another NRFI pick, and what a privilege it is to scope out Game 1 of the World Series between the Dodgers and Yankees. It's been a high-scoring postseason, and we'll see Jack Flaherty counter Gerrit Cole on the mound.
See our MLB NRFI pick for Game 1 of the World Series.
NRFI Pick Game 1: Yankees vs Dodgers (-115)
Yankees vs Dodgers Odds -- Game Time 8:00 p.m. ET
Despite a few shaky outings in the postseason, both Cole and Flaherty have yet to yield a run in the first inning (keep in mind, the Dodgers and Yankees have still scored in certain games). This tight first-inning performance also comes after a season's worth of strong outings. Cole enters Game 1 of the World Series with a 14-3 NRFI record, while Flaherty rocks a 22-6 record.
I have fewer concerns for Cole, at least the first time through. He diced to the tune of a 1.16 ERA during the regular season, plus he has great splits against the Dodgers. For example, Shohei Ohtani is just 4-for-20, and Teoscar Hernandez, the Dodgers clean-up man, is 5-for-26. If the Dodgers get a man or two on, Cole should be able to chop his way through the order.
My confidence meter is lower in Flaherty, especially after he allowed eight runs in his last postseason start vs the Mets. Some elements are working in Flaherty's favor, though. While his total OPS vs the Yanks is bad (.944), it comes largely from poor numbers against Anthony Rizzo (1.476 OPS). Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton have never seen Flaherty, and Juan Soto is a career 1-for-9 off him. That suggests a quiet first inning is in order.
