Heading into the weekend, there is everything still to play for in the NLDS. The Atlanta Braves ad Philadelphia Phillies are deadlocked at 1-1 through 2 games, as are the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres. Now the 2 underdogs have home-field advantage, looking to pull off series upsets before things would shift back to Atlanta and Los Angeles on Sunday. Meanwhile, Game 2 between the New York Yankees and Cleveland Guardians is being made up following Thursday's postponement.
Here are my favorite YRFI/NRFI plays for Friday's MLB playoff slate. Also be sure to read all of our MLB previews.
Cleveland Guardians vs New York Yankees: NRFI (-180)
Game 2 in the Bronx will feature Shane Bieber and Nestor Cortes, which is a step up from the pitching matchup we had in Game 1. No offense to Cal Quantrill, but he is Cleveland's 3rd starter. Gerrit Cole had a solid outing, but I still have more faith in Cortes than Cole. Bieber threw a scoreless first frame in his Wild Card start, which was the 8th time he has not allowed a first-inning run in his last 10 outings. In his 31 regular-season starts, the ace had a 1.74 ERA and a .170 opponent batting average in the first inning. While some pitchers take an inning or two to settle in, Bieber starts quickly and excels against the opposing top of the order. The most dangerous hitter at the top of the New York lineup is Aaron Judge, but Bieber has held the slugger to a .125 batting average in 8 at-bats.
I would be surprised if the Guardians aren't retired in order in the top of the first. Nestor Cortes was incredible at home in the regular season, as he had a 1.95 ERA and a 0.82 WHIP in 15 starts. He limited opponents to a .161 batting average and a .222 OBP, so it will be difficult for Cleveland to get a rally going. It also helps that Cortes is a lefty since the Guardians ranked 24th in OBP and 28th in OPS against southpaws in the regular season. The top of the Guardians order has remained the same for the majority of the season, so it will likely be Steven Kwan, Amed Rosario and Jose Ramirez. In their careers against Cortes, those three hitters are a combined 2-for-13 (.154) with 6 strikeouts. I see a scoreless first inning in the Bronx, so take the NRFI in Game 2.