Ah, a three-day weekend. A time to get together with friends and family, throw some grub on the grill and talk about first-inning scoring wagers. If you want to show off a bit when the topic inevitably comes up, read on for some Friday night suggestions and then make a few MLB picks.
Blue Jays vs Twins
Toronto is hard to figure out. They’ve lost seven of their last eight, scoring 22 runs in the seven losses and 20 runs in the one win. If they can spread it out a little they’d probably crawl out of their current funk.
Louie Varland will try to prevent a Blue Jays breakout when he starts this series opener for Minnesota. The St. Paul native is looking for his third straight win and hoping to avoid the long ball, which has plagued him at times – including the first inning.
Varland has allowed seven homers in his 28 innings, including three in the opening frame. His ERA in that inning sits at an unsightly 9.00. Toronto hasn’t been very good in the first stanza, although it is tied for second in the majors in doubles in that inning. Perhaps one of the Jays’ gappers becomes a dinger against a guy who’s had problems keeping it in the park.
Kevin Gausman will work the bottom of the first for Toronto. He hasn’t won since April 23 but has a 1.71 ERA over his last three starts. As long as Gausman gets out of the first couple of innings unscathed, he’s usually dominant. He has a 6.30 ERA in the first inning, a 4.50 mark in the second and it continues to fall all the way through the sixth.
ROSTER MOVE:
We’ve recalled LHP Ryan Borucki from the @BuffaloBisons and he will start tonight’s game vs. the Twins.
LHP Tim Mayza has been optioned to AAA. pic.twitter.com/pqHet80koS
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) July 24, 2018
The Twins score in the first inning at home 32.0% of the time and are tied for fourth in the majors in first-inning homers, so they have the potential to be one of those teams that get to Gausman early.
This is no sure thing, of course, but if the payout at the sportsbook is there, consider a yes-RIFI wager when making a bet online here.
Marlins vs Angels
There’s nothing like a Marlins-Angels matchup to get the blood flowing. In this one, just the ninth series all-time between the teams, both are nestled in third place in their respective divisions and hoping to stay close to the front-runners.
Los Angeles will trot out Reid Detmers in this opener. He has lasted six innings just once all year but has some impressive peripheral numbers, including 53 strikeouts in 40⅔ innings and no home runs allowed over his last four starts (19 innings).
We got friends in Sho places 🎵#GoHalos pic.twitter.com/SWnasRTSVY
— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) May 21, 2023
Another area of strength has been the first inning, where Detmers has yielded two runs in eight frames overall – zero in the last four. Opponents are batting .185 against him in the opening inning and have a tiny .412 OPS in the second inning, so it’s clear the University of Louisville product is on his game early.
He’ll put that trend to the test against a Miami lineup that scores in the first inning only 17.7% of the time, 29th in the majors. That seems like a pretty sure MLB bet.
The Marlins will counter with Jesus Luzardo. The 25-year-old southpaw has put things together in a Miami uniform, posting a solid 3.50 ERA in 28 starts over the last two years. Part of his success in 2023 has come from his ability to start games well, as opponents have yet to score in the first inning in Luzardo’s 10 starts.
Those opponents have managed just two hits (one double, one single) and one walk with 15 strikeouts in those 10 innings, good for a microscopic .179 OPS. The Angels can hit lefties pretty well but they’re mediocre in the first inning, scoring 29.4% of the time (16th in the majors).
If you’re looking at those MLB lines, see if a scoreless first in Anaheim makes a sensible wager. And if you’re doing some MLB live betting, keep in mind that the Angels’ bullpen has been pretty solid.
Phillies vs Braves
The defending National League champs are mired in fourth place and won’t turn it around unless their starting pitching can improve. One of the culprits has been Taijuan Walker, who carries a 5.79 ERA into the second of four big games at first-place Atlanta.
Walker has been wildly up and down, as evidenced by his last two starts. After giving up four runs while retiring just two batters at San Francisco, he spun 5⅓ scoreless innings against the Chicago Cubs at home.
Through it all, he has some ugly first-inning numbers. His ERA in that frame is 8.38 and he’s walked seven batters while striking out nine. Five of the opponents’ 12 hits (they’re hitting .308) have gone for extra bases, including two that left the yard.
Phillies vs Braves Resumes Tonight 🔥#RingTheBell pic.twitter.com/yjMQKhZjyk
— Justin Lever ❤️⚾️ (@JustinLever3) May 25, 2023
The veteran right-hander will try to reverse this trend against the best first-inning offense in the game. Atlanta has a .991 OPS in the opening stanza, easily the highest in the majors, with Austin Riley’s two-run homer in the first inning starting the scoring in Thursday’s 8-5 win over the Phillies.
Before Walker takes on that difficult challenge, rookie Jared Shuster will try his hand at the top of the Philadelphia order. He’s had scoreless firsts in his last two starts but gave up six runs in the first inning across his first two starts.
Shuster will be taking on a Phillies crew that leads all of baseball in runs per first inning on the road (0.85).
This series figures to be atop the MLB news landscape this weekend as the last two NL pennant winners do battle. It should factor into your RIFI wagering as well.
