NC Dinos Eric Peddie and Lotte Giants Na Kyun-ahn will face off in the “Nakdong River Derby” after battling it out for the regular season monthly MVP in April.스포츠토토
NC and Lotte have announced their starting pitchers for Game 7 of the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League on April 11 at Changwon NC Park. Lotte is in sole possession of fourth place, one game ahead of NC, so the standings could change depending on the outcome of the final three games of the first half.
NC has fallen into a severe slump, going 2-8 in their last 10 games. Last weekend, they hung their heads in shame as they lost both games to the Samsung Lions in a losing series at home.
With the team facing its biggest test since the start of the season, the only thing they can rely on is their ace. The team will start Pedi to end the losing streak and reclaim fourth place.
In his first year in the KBO, Pedi has been terrific this season, going 11-2 with a 1.73 ERA in 14 games. He went 4-1 with a 0.47 ERA in six games in April, 4-0 with a 3.09 ERA in four games in May, and 3-0 with a 2.12 ERA in three games in June.
He suffered his second loss of the season on May 5 against the Gochuk Kiwoom Heroes, giving up two runs on five hits with two walks and eight strikeouts in five innings, but his command and conditioning are not bad.
It will be his first time on the mound against Lotte. He hasn’t had a chance to face Lotte batters in the regular season or during the exhibition games. NC will be resting their hopes on Pedi’s shoulders as he has been in “invincible” mode this season, going 4-1 with a 1.72 ERA in five games at Anbang Changwon.
Lotte is also counting on Na Gyun-ahn to continue their winning streak and defense of their fourth place finish. In his third year as a pitcher, Na Gyun-ahn has developed into a league-caliber domestic starter with a 6-2 record and 3.17 ERA in 15 games so far this year. In April, he went 4-0 with a 1.34 ERA in five games, earning his first monthly MVP award in his professional career.
However, he struggled in May, going 1-1 with a 3.62 ERA in five games, and then struggled in June, going 1-1 with a 5.32 ERA in four games.
After being scratched from the roster once due to medial elbow ligament inflammation, he struggled a bit in his return against the Hanwha Eagles on May 5, allowing three runs (two earned) on four hits, one walk, and two strikeouts in five innings. Na will be looking for not only a team win, but also a personal Yoo Jong-miwa rebound in his final start of the first half.
Against NC, he has been the “Dinosaur Killer,” going 2-0 with a 2.42 ERA in six career games (three starts). He was very weak against Park Geon-woo, going 4-for-10, but was expunged from the first team roster on the last three days due to team chemistry issues.
Lotte has an absolute advantage in the ‘Nakdong River Derby’ this season with a 5-1 record. The final three games of the first half are not easy to predict, as both teams have had shaky mounds and big ups and downs in July.
The last-place Samsung Lions and sixth-place KIA Tigers have called up Won Tae-in and Yoon Young-chul, respectively, to start on the 11th.
In Incheon, the Doosan Bears, who have recently won eight straight games, will send right-hander Young-gun Kim Dong-ju against the second-place SSG Landers. SSG Landers will be looking for their second win of the season when 10th-year right-hander Lee Kun-wook makes his second start since opening day.
Gochuk will be led by seventh-ranked Kiwoom Heroes’ Ahn Woo-jin and eighth-ranked KT Wiz Wes Benjamin. In Jamsil, the leading LG Twins will send domestic ace Im Chan-kyu and the Hanwha Eagles will send right-handed fireballer Han Seung-hyuk.