Hanwha at Lotte

BUSAN, South Korea (Interstat) — The Hanwha Eagles and Lotte Giants conclude a weekend series Sunday evening at Busan Sajik Baseball Stadium, with both clubs looking to salvage a split after the Eagles’ shutout victory a day prior.

First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. local time under cloudy skies and mild temperatures near 71 degrees Fahrenheit (22 Celsius).

The Eagles (7-10) blanked the Giants (6-11) 5-0 on Saturday behind a masterful performance from veteran left-hander Ryu Hyun-jin. He tossed seven scoreless innings, allowing just four hits. Hanwha will seek a series win to build momentum before a road trip to face the LG Twins.

Lotte, mired in a sluggish start to the season, aims to avoid dropping the two-game set at home. The Giants’ offense has mustered only two runs total over its last three games.

A key storyline will be the performance of the starting pitchers. For Hanwha, Ryu has been dominant in two of his last three outings, including Saturday’s win and a 10-strikeout effort against the Shinsegae Landers on April 7. His season ERA sits at a stellar 1.69.

The Giants counter with right-hander Hyun Do-hoon, who was effective in relief against these same Eagles on Saturday. Hyun kept Hanwha off the board for 3 2/3 innings, surrendering just three hits. He will be tasked with slowing an Eagles lineup that produced 10 hits in the series opener.

Despite Interstat’s game simulator projecting a 3-2 Giants victory, the same outlet’s ELO rating system gives Hanwha a 54.9% probability to win, suggesting a closely contested matchup.

Following Sunday’s game, the Giants host the Doosan Bears for a three-game series beginning Tuesday. The Eagles travel to Seoul to face the LG Twins in a three-game set starting the same day.