Rain-Soaked Rivalry Set for Masan as Dinos Host Giants

CHANGWON-SI, South Korea (Interstat) — The NC Dinos look to continue their early-season momentum against a familiar foe when they host the Lotte Giants in a wet Thursday evening contest at Masan Baseball Stadium.

Forecasted rain and temperatures near 53 degrees Fahrenheit (12 Celsius) could complicate the 6:30 p.m. series finale between the two Korea Baseball Organization clubs.

The Dinos (3-1) have taken the first two games of this set, including a 5-4 walk-off win Wednesday. NC second baseman Park Min-woo has been a central figure, going 3 for 5 with a home run and two RBIs in that victory. For the series, he is 3 for 7 (.429) against Lotte pitching.

The Giants (2-2), meanwhile, aim to salvage a game and avoid a sweep. A player to watch for Lotte is right-hander Na Gyun-an, who delivered a quality start in a hard-luck loss Wednesday, allowing two earned runs over five innings against these same Dinos.

According to Interstat’s projections, NC holds a distinct advantage. Their game simulator predicts a 7-3 Dinos victory, while their ELO rating system gives NC a 58% probability to win.

Both teams have seen their offenses ignite in the early going. NC has scored 20 runs in its last three games, while Lotte had scored 12 runs in its season-opening series win over Samsung before being stifled in Changwon.

Following Thursday’s game, the Dinos hit the road for a weekend series in Gwangju against the Kia Tigers. The Giants return to Busan to begin a three-game homestand Friday against the Shinsegae Landers.