Monday’s game in St. Louis was the Baltimore Orioles’ first road game in nearly two weeks, but they picked up exactly where they left off: cashing NRFI — no run in the first inning — tickets again.
In failing to score in the top of the first and stranding two St. Louis Cardinals runners in the bottom of the first inning, the Orioles’ road NRFI record improved to 14-4 this season. At .778, they have the best NRFI rate in baseball:
Orioles: .778
Pirates: .741
Royals: .727
Guardians: .692
Nationals: .679
While the Orioles’ pitching staff has contributed to the road NRFI rate — with 0.24 runs allowed per game — the offense’s first-inning woes are largely responsible. They’ve scored a first-inning run on the road once in 18 games, by far the lowest rate (5.5%) among all teams. All three of this season’s first-inning runs came against the Cincinnati Reds on May 5.
It’s the continuation of Baltimore’s dramatic home and away first-inning splits, albeit at a greater level.
In 2023, they averaged 0.65 first-inning runs per game at Camden Yards, but only 0.39 on the road. In 2024, they’re averaging 0.74 runs at home and 0.18 runs on the road. But, like 2023, their scoring slows down after the first inning on the home and vice versa on the road.
The Orioles averaged nearly one more run per game on the road (5.44) vs. home (4.48) last year. And despite the first-inning offensive atrocity this year, their scoring average is 0.35 runs higher on the road.
You can view NRFI odds and YRFI (yes run in the first inning) odds for each Orioles game and all other MLB games at the BetMGM online sportsbook. Check out updated sportsbook promos for Odds Boosts, Parlay Boosts, the Grand Slam Jackpot, and more throughout the season.