MLB NRFI Picks Today | Sean Manaea, Joey Wentz in Giants vs Tigers on Friday, April 14
Matt Dirksen/MLB Photos via Getty Images. Pictured: Sean Manaea
Shayne Trail breaks down his favorite NRFI/YRFI bets of the day below, but you can follow all of his bets in the Action Network app.
| Matchup | S. Manaea (Giants) vs. J. Wentz (Tigers) |
| First Pitch | 6:40 p.m. ET |
We venture to Comerica Park today to uncover value in a No-Run First Inning (NRFI) bet featuring two of baseball's weakest first-inning offenses — the Giants and the Tigers.
The Giants will put their trust in left-handed pitcher Sean Manaea, who boasts an impressive NRFI record of 20-10 last season. When facing batters for the first time through the order this year, Manaea has allowed a mere three hits in 15 at-bats, resulting in a .200 batting average against him. Though his encounters with the Tigers' lineup have been limited, Manaea has successfully held his ground, keeping Miguel Cabrera hitless in three at-bats, Jonathan Schoop to 1-for-5, Akil Baddoo to 0-for-2, Javier Báez to 1-for-4 and Riley Greene to 1-for-3.
The Tigers have an underwhelming .143 first-inning average in 2023, a result of just six hits in 45 plate appearances, placing them as the second-worst team in this regard.
On the opposite side, Joey Wentz leads the NRFI charge for the Tigers. In a limited sample last season, Wentz secured a 6-1 record in NRFI situations, and this year, he is off to a 2-0 start. When facing batters the first time through the order last season, he allowed only 12 hits in 62 at-bats, culminating in a .194 average. An unfamiliarity with San Francisco's lineup may work to Wentz's advantage, as he has never faced any of the Giants' batters before. Furthermore, four of the Giants' top five projected hitters today are left-handed, which plays into Wentz's strength — last season, left-handed batters hit a meager .167 against him.
The Giants have had their share of struggles against left-handed pitching, faring worse than against righties. As the third-worst first-inning team in baseball, the Giants maintain a dismal .190 average, with only eight hits thus far in 2023.
This NRFI has the best value at Barstool Sportsbook, where it is priced at -115.
As always, six outs to glory…
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