The Lotte Giants have turned the tide of the Nakdong River toward Busan this season. Lotte has emerged as NC’s nemesis in the “Nakdong River Derby,”메이저놀이터 winning all four meetings with the NC Dinos this season. Lotte snapped a two-game losing streak in a three-game series this past weekend to get back on the winning track.

Lotte won the fourth game of the season against NC 2-0 in the “Nakdong River Derby” at Sajik Baseball Stadium in Busan on April 23. Lotte won the first game of the three-game series at home, extending its winning streak to four games against NC after sweeping the three-game series on the road last month. Lotte moved up one spot to sole possession of second place (0.621 winning percentage), ahead of SSG, who lost to the LG Twins earlier in the day.

LOTTE won 2-0 thanks to a six-inning no-hitter by starter Na Gyun-an, a game-winning sacrifice fly by Han Dong-hee, and an RBI single by Noh Jin-hyuk. In a tightly contested pitcher’s duel, LOTTE effectively capitalized on its only scoring opportunity and held off NC without giving up any “momentum.

Na Gyun-an, who won four games in April to earn Player of the Month honors, picked up his fifth win of the season in just his fourth appearance in May. Han Dong-hee reaffirmed her presence with her first multi-hit game in six games (2-for-2, 2 RBI, 1 run scored) since the game against KT on May 14.

The game between Lotte and NC was a tight pitching battle. Lotte starter Na Gyun-an (4-1) and NC starter Shin Min-hyuk (3-1) dominated the bats of both teams, turning the game into a pitcher’s duel.

Na struck out the side in the first and second innings to shut down the NC bats. Shin gave up a hit and a walk but did not allow a run.
The tight 0-0 balance was broken in the fourth inning. Lotte scored the first run of the game to take the lead. It was the veterans who took the lead. Jeon Jun-woo, batting fourth in the lineup, broke a four-game hitting drought with a single up the middle in his second at-bat.

Lotte’s fifth batter, Ahn Chi-hong, hit a double down the left field line to put runners on first and second. The sixth batter, Han Dong-hee, followed with a big fly ball to center field to bring home Jeon Jun-woo, who was at third base. Lotte didn’t stop there. In the seventh, Noh Jin-hyuk singled through the right side of the infield, scoring Ahn Chi-hong from second base. Lotte took a 2-0 lead.

Na Gyun-an ran into trouble in the top of the fifth. LOTTE was in trouble when Na Gyun-ahn gave up a double to Yoon Hyung-jun, the sixth batter. Yoon’s pitch hit the top of the left-field fence at Sajik Stadium and fell to the ground, where left fielder Ahn Kwon-soo threw to second base. Na gave up a single to Seo Ho-cheol, who walked, and a wild pitch put runners on second and third with no outs. Na threw home a grounder in front of the pitcher hit by Kim Joo-won in the eighth inning to tag out Yoon Hyung-jun at third base. Na got out of the jam by striking out the ninth batter, Do Tae-hoon, and the first batter, Son As-seob, in succession.

Na threw 86 pitches through the sixth inning, allowing no runs on five hits and striking out five in a quality start. Na turned the ball over to Kim Sang-soo in the seventh inning. Kim Sang-soo retired three NC batters on eight pitches, two fly balls and one ground ball to close out the seventh inning.

After Kim Sang-soo, LOTTE brought in Koo Seung-min in the eighth and Kim Won-joong in the ninth for a 2-0 win over NC. Lotte snapped a two-game losing streak against SSG on April 20 and 21 and moved back into sole possession of second place.

Koo Seung-min and Kim Won-joong, who recorded holds and saves in the game, achieved the records of “10 holds for four consecutive years” and “10 saves for four consecutive years” at the same time.