It's a sleepy Tuesday in MLB, so we'll gladly hop on a few NRFI picks today. The first will take place in the early slate between the Cardinals and Pirates, while our second NRFI pick nestles nicely into the Mets-Nationals game later in the day.
NRFI Pick Today: Cardinals vs Pirates (-105)
Matchup Preview - Game Time: 6:40 pm ET
Neither club is a first-inning monster. The Pirates are especially weak, with a 53-30 NRFI record and a .212 BA in the first inning. St. Louis' 47-36 NRFI suggests the squad is slightly more neutral, but the .223 BA brings us back to NRFI territory.
The Cardinals normally scare me on these bets, but not today, as Mitch Keller goes for the Pirates. The right-hander owns a 13-3 NRFI record, including nine consecutive NRFIs on his watch. His 2.25 ERA (four earned runs in 16 starts) only makes me more confident in this bet.
To improve things, Kyle Gibson holds Pirates hitters to a .566 OPS. Bryan Reynolds, who will bat in the first, is 2-for-11 lifetime vs Gibson with five strikeouts.
NRFI Pick Today: Mets vs Nationals (-125)
Matchup Preview - Game Time: 6:45 pm ET
This NRFI play is even easier than the previous game, as we have the NRFI GOAT in our sights. The Nats are 58-26 this season, making them the top dogs for NRFI bets. It's easy to see why that's the case, too, as the club bats just .172 in the first inning.
Now, the club is matched up against Mets starter Sean Manaea, who, for all his struggles, is actually a machine in the first inning at 13-2 NRFI.
Meanwhile, Nats rookie DJ Herz is an animal in the first frame, maintaining a 5-0 NRFI record despite a 5.48 ERA. Opponents own a .433 OPS in the first inning, and with the Mets first-inning offensive struggles (.245 BA), we're in line for another NRFI best bet.
