The Cubs take on the White Sox for the battle of Chicago on Friday. The NRFI has a lot of value in this contest.
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Shota Imanaga takes the mound for the Cubs against Adrian Houser of the White Sox. Both pitchers should have a clean first inning based on their recent results.
Imanaga is one of the best best pitchers in the sport, and he continues to prove this every start. He comes into this matchup with a 7-3 record and a 2.40 ERA. In 75 innings he has a 0.92 WHIP, which is one of the best in the league.
Imanaga’s strikeout numbers are down this season but he is still dominating offenses. He has fanned 53 batters in 2025.
The White Sox usually aren’t a team I look at when betting NRFIs, but Houser makes this game an exception. He is 5-2 with a 1.89 ERA and 44 strikeouts.
Houser is one of the best pitch-to-contact arms in baseball this season and that’s what I look for when betting NRFIs. He has pitched 19.1 innings in his past three starts, allowing just four earned runs.
The White Sox have the second worst team batting average in baseball, so Imanaga should have no problem cruising through the first inning. If Houser can deliver, this NRFI shouldn’t be a sweat.
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One of my favorite NRFI pitchers to back this season is Bryan Woo and he gets the ball for Seattle on Friday. He will square off against Jose Soriano and the Angels.
Woo enters this contest with a 2.91 ERA in 120.2 innings this season. He averages just under one strikeout per inning.
Soriano is 7-7 with a 3.83 ERA and he has struck out 103 batters in 120 innings. He has pitched 12 innings allowing three runs, while striking out eight over his past two starts.
The Angels are hitting .235 as a club which is the 24th best in baseball. The Mariners are slightly better hitting .248, but both offenses haven’t done anything special in 2025.
Woo is one of the best NRFI pitchers in MLB because of his ability to get ahead in the count. His first innings are usually smooth and I think Soriano can do the same thing on Friday.
My biggest concern for the NRFI is Mariners slugger Cal Raleigh who has hit 39 home runs in 2025. Raleigh will most likely be hitting third so if Soriano can get the top of the lineup out, he can afford to pitch around the Home Run Derby champion.
I expect both Woo and Soriano to take the offenses out of this game on Friday and have a clean first inning to cash this NRFI.
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Rockies vs. Orioles - Kyle Freeland vs. Dean Kremer: The Rockies just shut the Cardinals out which was their first of the year as a pitching staff. Baltimore will be ready to hit against Freeland who has a 5.19 ERA.
Phillies vs Yankees - Taijuan Walker vs. Will Warren: Yankee stadium is a YRFI park and I expect a ton of runs off two inconsistent pitchers.
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