NRFI Today: Best MLB NRFI Bets and Predictions for Saturday, May 16
It's the middle game of rivalry weekend for many teams across the league. The Subway Series between the New York Yankees and New York Mets is underway. The I-70 series between the Kansas City Royals and St. Louis Cardinals is heating up the Midwest. The Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angeles Angels battle for SoCal supremacy in Anaheim.
There are a few day games, but we've highlighted only one that begins before 6 p.m. ET: Philadelphia Phillies at Pittsburgh Pirates.
All odds are from DraftKings Sportsbook and are subject to change. DraftKings does not sponsor this content.
Best NRFI Bets Today
Philadelphia Phillies at Pittsburgh Pirates NRFI (-135)
LHP Cristopher Sanchez toes the rubber for the Phils Saturday. Over his last two starts, he has allowed nine hits over 15 shutout innings while striking out 17 batters. He has allowed just three earned runs in nine first innings this season. Opposing him is youngster Bubba Chandler. His numbers on the season aren't great, but his first-inning stats are pretty good. In eight starts, he has allowed just two earned runs, and opposing hitters have just a .148 batting average in the first.
Chicago Cubs at Chicago White Sox NRFI (-125)
We're hitting this matchup for the second straight day. Veteran righty Jameson Taillon goes for the Cubs, and he has allowed just two ER in the first inning over eight starts. White Sox starter Davis Martin has been one of the biggest surprises thus far at 5-1 with a 1.62 ERA on the season. He has allowed just two ER with 11 K's in eight first frames this season.
Texas Rangers at Houston Astros NRFI (-145)
Stud righty Jacob deGrom goes for the Rangers. He's 3-2 with a 2.62 ERA and an 11.5 K/9 thus far. He has had some trouble in the first, allowing earned runs in four starts. Three of those were against the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers, though. The Astros are going with an opener in righty Kai-Wei Teng. He has been solid thus far with a 3.12 ERA and 1.08 WHIP in 15 appearances and two starts.
What Does NRFI Mean in Baseball?
The term NRFI indicates no runs scored in the first inning. Its opposite, YRFI, indicates yes, a run will be scored in the first inning. It doesn't matter if the run qualifies as an earned run or not. If a run crosses the plate in the first inning for either team, the wager loses for the NRFI side and wins for the YRFI side.
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This story was originally published May 16, 2026 at 4:30 AM.