Friday MLB NRFI Odds, Picks: Back Alex Faedo, Shane Bieber to Keep Scoreless 1st Frame
Brandon Sloter/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images. Pictured: Shane Bieber.
- The Cleveland Guardians send Shane Bieber to the mound to take on Alex Faedo and the Detroit Tigers.
- Both offenses have been dreadful in the first inning this month, giving the advantage to the pitchers.
- Shayne Trail breaks down why there's value on a scoreless first inning here below.
Shayne Trail breaks down his favorite NRFI/YRFI bet of the day below, but you can follow all of his bets in the Action Network app.
Guardians vs. Tigers No Runs First Inning (-150)
| Matchup | Guardians (Bieber) vs. Tigers (Faedo) |
| First Pitch | 7:10 p.m. ET |
| Best Line | FanDuel |
On Friday, we'll take the NRFI between two American League teams.
Shane Bieber, an NRFI phenom, is looking to bounce back after allowing a YRFI in his last start.
Since the 2021 season, Bieber is 21-3 to the NRFI, including a 7-1 2022 start. In 27 first-inning batters faced, he's surrendered just one hit and two walks while holding hitters to a remarkable .039 average. Impressively, Bieber is also holding hitters to a .138 average the first time through the lineup.
Bieber has found tremendous success against the Tigers' hitters in the past, going 5-2 to the NRFI against them. Here's how he fared against some of Detroit's key batters:
- Jeimer Candelario: 3-for-24
- Jonathan Schoop: 6-for-20
- Robbie Grossman: 4-for-13
- Miguel Cabrera 4-for-18
- Javier Baez: 0-for-3
In the last seven days, some Tigers are struggling to see the baseball as well:
- Grossman: 1-for-16
- Candelario: 1-for-14
- Baez: 4-for-21
The Tigers have been the worst first-inning hitting team at home in MLB in the month of May. In 32 batters, they've recorded only four hits, good for a .133 average.
Not only are they struggling to make contact with the baseball, but they also can’t reach first by walking, drawing just two in the first frame all month. This has resulted in no first-inning runs this month and the worst on-base percentage in baseball.
On the other side for Detroit, top prospect Alex Faedo is now 3-1 to the NRFI in 2022. In 17 first-inning batters faced, he has allowed just three hits and two walks. Faedo is holding hitters to a low .200 average, and he hasn’t allowed a first-inning home run yet in his career.
In the month of May, the Guardians have been the worst first-inning hitting team on the road in baseball. In 37 batters, they've put up just three hits for a .094 average. They also aren’t making any significant contact with the baseball, ranking 27th in MLB in hard-hit rate in the first inning on the road (20.8%), resulting in just two first-inning runs in the last 27 days.
The Guardians' first three batters are a combined 1-for-8 against Faedo. In the last seven days, some key hitters are hitting well below their averages:
- Owen Miller: 4-for-23
- Josh Naylor: 1-for-13
- Steven Kwan: 2-for-13
With slight rain and poor hitting conditions, look for these two teams to remain the worst in baseball in their respective splits for the month of May. Take the NRFI between the Guardians and Tigers.
As always six outs to the glory…
Get all of Shayne Trail's NRFI/YRFI bets instantly in The Action Network app.
How would you rate this article?
Follow Us On Social
