Fifteen MLB games carry a first-inning market on Sunday, August 23. Jake Bennett has never allowed a first-inning run in the majors. Cal Quantrill's quiet firsts cost almost nothing in the board's loudest park outside Coors. Coors runs 72%. Three first-inning trends, quiet side first.
The Quick Answer
Sunday's best first-inning edge is Mets-White Sox NRFI -112 (true -113, +0.5%), ahead of Angels-Rangers NRFI -102 (+0.4%) and Guardians-Rockies NRFI +130 (+0.3%); no YRFI beats fair. Three trends below; the Chicago case sits with the board.
Bennett Has Never Allowed A First-Inning Run
Giants At Red Sox: Wilkinson Vs. Bennett, NRFI -120
Jake Bennett's first inning is spotless: 14 career starts, 14 clean firsts, a 0.00 first-inning ERA. The Giants help at 47%, under the 50.4% league rate, with a first-inning run in 7 of their last 15. Fenway pushes back at 54%. The books saw it: -120 against a true -115 gives back -1.8%.
The trend read: the slate's cleanest first-inning résumé, already charged for.
Quantrill's Quiet Firsts Are Nearly Free In A 64% Park
Angels At Rangers: Kikuchi Vs. Quantrill, NRFI -102
The market charges Bennett -120; it barely charges this. Cal Quantrill has opened clean in 8 of 9 starts, six straight, on a 2.00 first-inning ERA, and Yusei Kikuchi brings three straight clean firsts. Globe Life's 64% and the Rangers' 60% keep the price flat, yet NRFI -102 beats true -103. That gap is the one I keep coming back to.
The trend read: the Bennett résumé at a fraction of the price.
Coors Sees A First-Inning Run 72% Of The Time
Guardians At Rockies: Griffin Vs. Sugano, YRFI -134
The runs side has one story the market already knows. Coors leads the board's parks at 72%, the Rockies run 64% with a first-inning run in 9 of their last 15, and Tomoyuki Sugano owns a 6.55 first-inning ERA — 18 runs and nine homers in 22 firsts — with clean firsts in just 4 of his last 10. Like Bennett's streak, it's paid for: YRFI -134 gives back -1.5% against a true -129; the third positive edge hides on the quiet side at +130.
The trend read: the board's loudest trend; the only price beating fair bets against it.
Sunday's Full First-Inning Board
Clean firsts = last 10 starts; team/park rates = season YRFI; times ET.
| Game (First Pitch ET) | Starters (clean firsts, last 10) | Team YRFI rates | Park YRFI | Prices |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rays At Orioles (1:35) | Martinez 7/10 · Baz 8/10 | 48% / 45% | Camden 34% | NRFI -108 · YRFI +100 |
| Cardinals At Phillies (1:35) | Leahy 10/10 · Sánchez 8/10 | 47% / 52% | Citizens Bank 58% | NRFI -130 · YRFI +122 |
| Blue Jays At Yankees (1:35) | Soriano 5/5 · Rodón 7/10 | 48% / 50% | Yankee Stadium 52% | NRFI -125 · YRFI +116 |
| Nationals At Marlins (1:40) | Kent 1/2 · Junk 9/10 | 52% / 43% | loanDepot 43% | NRFI -109 · YRFI +100 |
| Tigers At Royals (2:10) | Waguespack first '26 start · Lynch IV 2/3 | 48% / 50% | Kauffman 52% | NRFI -110 · YRFI -105 |
| Athletics At Astros (2:10) | Basso 2/2 · Javier 6/7 | 54% / 56% | Daikin 52% | NRFI +102 · YRFI -115 |
| Mets At White Sox (2:10) | McLean 7/10 · Newcomb 3/3 | 49% / 55% | Rate Field 52% | NRFI -112 · YRFI +105 |
| Angels At Rangers (2:35) | Kikuchi 5/7 · Quantrill 8/9 | 52% / 60% | Globe Life 64% | NRFI -102 · YRFI -102 |
| Guardians At Rockies (3:10) | Griffin 2/3 · Sugano 4/10 | 42% / 64% | Coors 72% | NRFI +130 · YRFI -134 |
| Giants At Red Sox (3:15) | Wilkinson 1/1 · Bennett 10/10 | 47% / 53% | Fenway 54% | NRFI -120 · YRFI +112 |
| Pirates At Dodgers (4:10) | Bachar 2/2 · Snell 2/3 | 48% / 49% | Dodger Stadium 49% | NRFI -107 · YRFI -102 |
| Cubs At Mariners (4:10) | Imanaga 7/10 · Miller 6/10 | 46% / 54% | T-Mobile 55% | NRFI -120 · YRFI +110 |
| Twins At Padres (4:10) | Ober 6/10 · Buehler 7/10 | 59% / 40% | Petco 43% | NRFI +100 · YRFI -110 |
| Reds At D-Backs (4:15) | Abbott 6/10 · Bratt 6/8 | 51% / 57% | Chase 59% | NRFI +100 · YRFI -110 |
| Braves At Brewers (7:10) | Mahle 2/3 · Drohan 9/10 | 49% / 48% | Journey Bank 53% | NRFI -123 · YRFI +112 |
The row to watch is Chicago: Sean Newcomb has opened clean in all three starts, Nolan McLean runs 7 of 10, and the White Sox's 55% makes Mets-White Sox NRFI -112 the board's best edge — the first price I'd shop. As on Friday's board, trends say where to look; the first-inning Odds Screen shows which book still hangs -112 or better against the no-vig -113, the live odds screen shops the number across every major book, and the free bet converter turns stray promos into cash.
OddsShopper devigs every book's price to its true number. Code NRFI takes 20% off your first month of OddsShopper Pro.
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The Fine Print
Clean firsts are scoreless first innings; a team or park YRFI rate is the share of its 2026 games with a first-inning run by either side (league: 50.4%). Trends describe what has happened; prices move until first pitch. MLB betting terms, the NRFI hub and free expert picks cover the rest. 21+ where legal; bet within your means.
