I always worry when a pitcher has trouble closing out the first inning. That ain't a good sign. Any time this kid is on I'm staying away.
This is a great point, and one that most people don't recognize, IMO. You can usually tell how a pitcher is going to do by the way he pitches in the first inning or two. If they struggle early, they are probably going to have a bad outing. If they go out and dominate, they will probably pitch well the rest of the game. The same can be said of the offenses.
You always hear people say things like 'settle down, it's still early,' but the early stages of a game can often tell you how the rest of the game is going to play out. Not always, but a good deal of the time.