SEOUL, South Korea (Interstat) — The Doosan Bears host the Lotte Giants on Friday evening at Jamsil Stadium, with both teams looking to build momentum in a tightly packed KBO middle of the pack. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. under partly cloudy skies and a temperature of 81 degrees.

Doosan (18-21-1) enters as a slight favorite, with Interstat’s ELO system giving the Bears a 56.6 percent win probability and projecting a 5-4 final score. Lotte (15-22-1) arrives having lost three of its last four, including a 5-4 defeat Thursday against the NC Dinos.

Na Gyun-an takes the mound for the Giants. The right-hander lasted only 4 2/3 innings in that loss, allowing seven hits and three earned runs while striking out six. In his lone start against Doosan this season on April 21, Na went seven innings, surrendering four hits and two earned runs in a 6-2 loss. Over his past five starts, he owns a 3.18 ERA with 24 strikeouts in 28 innings.

For Doosan, catcher Yang Eui-ji provides the offensive spark. Yang broke out of a prolonged slump Thursday, going 3-for-4 with two home runs and three RBIs in a 5-3 loss at Kia. That performance snapped a stretch of seven consecutive games without a hit, a span in which he went 0-for-27. Yang has historically fared well against Lotte, and the Bears will need his production to support a pitching staff that has allowed six or more runs in three of its last four games.

The Bears took two of three from the Giants in their previous meeting April 21-23 in Busan, winning 6-2 and 9-1 before Lotte salvaged a 6-1 victory.

The series continues Saturday and Sunday at Jamsil before both teams hit the road next week.