Now it’s a five-way tie. Lotte was in a festive mood when Noh Jin-hyuk’s walk-off hit in the bottom of the ninth inning secured a 6-5 victory against Sasik KIA on March 3. The team had made waves in the league by forming a three-way tie with 메이저놀이터 SSG and LG. However, the team then fell into a four-game losing streak for the first time in the season, including a three-game sweep at the hands of KT, and failed to turn things around with a series loss to Samsung, Hanwha, and SSG. Lotte then faced KT again and came from behind to lose both games, leaving the 22nd result to confirm a fifth consecutive losing series.
Lotte, which once led the standings and held onto the lead, now trails fifth-place Doosan by two games. The gap between sixth-ranked Kiwoom and seventh-ranked KIA has also shrunk to three games, increasing the pressure on Lotte.
In particular, Lotte’s recent seven-game losing streak has been particularly bad, with the team losing both games despite two appearances by “ace” Na Gyun-ahn (25) during this period.
Na struggled against Sasik Hanwha on the 15th, giving up two home runs and three runs in four innings, and against Suwon KT on the 21st, giving up six runs on 10 hits in five innings.
More importantly, the fact that Na Gyun-ahn voluntarily signed off on his replacement has Lotte on edge. While pitching in the bottom of the sixth inning against KT, Na complained of right elbow pain on the bench. Pitching coach Bae Young-soo visited the mound to check his condition and eventually made the substitution.
A Lotte representative said, “He was replaced because he felt discomfort in his right elbow when he pitched out of the rotation.” “He is scheduled to undergo a medical examination at a hospital on the 22nd.”
The outcome of Nayun-ahn’s medical examination is expected to have some impact on Lotte’s future plans. Na Kyun-ahn, who hasn’t pitched a regulation inning since switching from catcher to pitcher, is playing a full season as a starter for the first time 토토 가입머니 즉시지급 this year. With 83 innings pitched this season, Na has thrown enough innings to rank fifth in the league.
Lotte recently suffered a major loss in power when star shortstop Noh Jin-hyuk was sidelined with a left oblique injury. As if Lotte wasn’t already struggling to find a breakthrough, another injury to a key player would make their rebound even more difficult.