Kia at Lotte

Busan, South Korea (Interstat) — The Kia Tigers visit the Lotte Giants on Thursday evening at Busan Sajik Baseball Stadium, with first pitch expected under cloudy skies and 76-degree temperatures.

Kia enters the contest at 44-39-2, holding a solid record but having dropped the first two games of this series. The Tigers lost 11-3 on Wednesday and 10-2 on Tuesday, both at Lotte’s home park. Kia has lost three of its last four overall.

Lotte, 38-44, has won two straight and three of its last four. The Giants took two of three from KT Wiz over the weekend before sweeping the first two games of this series.

The head-to-head history favors Lotte recently. The Giants have won four of the last six meetings, including the last two by a combined 21-5 margin. Earlier this season, the teams split a four-game set in Gwangju in June, with Lotte winning two of three before a tie.

Players to watch

Kia reliever Kim Beom-su has been used frequently in recent outings. In his last appearance Wednesday against Lotte, he pitched one inning, allowing one hit and no earned runs. Over his last 10 appearances, he has posted a mix of scoreless outings and rough frames, including a 0.1-inning stint July 3 in which he allowed two earned runs.

Lotte starter Na Gyun-an will be a key figure. He earned the win Wednesday against Kia, throwing 5.2 innings, allowing seven hits and two earned runs while striking out seven. In his last four starts, he has allowed two earned runs or fewer in three of them, including a seven-inning, two-run outing June 26 against LG.

Projections

Interstat’s game simulator projects a 4-3 Lotte victory. However, Interstat’s ELO system gives Kia a 52.6 percent probability to win, suggesting a tightly contested matchup.

The Tigers will look to avoid a sweep before heading to Shinsegae Landers for a four-game series beginning July 16. Lotte travels to Samsung Lions for four games starting the same day.