The first day of MLB playoffs was awesome, so we're back with more NRFI picks today for Game 2 of Wild Card action. We're going with two NRFI best bets, first in the Royals and Orioles contest, then the Braves and Padres game later in the evening.
See all our NRFI picks below for today's slate of postseason baseball.
NRFI Pick Today: Royals vs Orioles (-145)
Royals vs Orioles Odds -- Game Time 4:38 p.m. ET
We saw Game 1 of this series. Hands up if you think we'll see an avalanche of runs in Game 2. Anyone? Buehler? Yeah, me neither.
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The two clubs combined for one run on 10 hits yesterday, deferring to nine innings of pitching and defense as the Royals scored the upset victory in Game 1. Game 2 will follow a similar script, starting with Seth Lugo on the hill. The Royals righty is a reliable first-inning arm. During the regular season, Lugo went 29-4 NRFI and kept his first-inning ERA at 1.97. Those are better numbers than most pitchers who started yesterday. Lugo sets the table nicely and should hold off the top of the Orioles' order as he settles in right away.
Our man Zach Eflin gets the top half, and while his 4.00 ERA in the first inning doesn't give us an abundance of confidence, our NRFI bet isn't a lost cause. The Royals offense has been incredibly quiet in the first inning lately. KC did not score a first-inning run in Game 1 and hit for a lowly .565 OPS in the first inning over the last month of the regular season.
NRFI Pick Today: Braves vs Padres (-155)
Braves vs Padres Odds -- Game Time 8:38 p.m. ET
The Padres came out swinging in yesterday's contest. Fernando Tatis Jr. homered in the first inning, and the Friars never looked back, cruising to a Game 1 victory. So why the change of tune with a NRFI bet? Let me show you.
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Joe Musgrove (14-5 NRFI) will shut down the Braves in the top half. Those five YRFIs might look bad, but Musgrove had connected on 11 consecutive NRFI outcomes, burying a bad start and reshaping his season. The Braves also own a .628 OPS against Musgrove in 83 at-bats. He's set for success.
In the bottom half, Max Fried has the tall task of silencing the Padres offense. He's up for it, though. The lefty has 11 postseason starts under his belt, and active Padres hitters own a .666 OPS against him. Manny Machado is just 1-for-16 against Fried, meaning he'll have a lot less to worry about as he traverses that dangerous order.
