This is a big match between Hanwha Eagles and Lotte Giants, teams in the top ranks. Although the outcome is hard to predict, everything seems to be leaning toward Hanwha at this point. Can Lotte respond and adapt accordingly?

Hanwha and Lotte will face off in their 8th to 10th matchups from the 17th to the 19th at Busan Sajik Stadium. The two teams have met seven times this year, demonstrating a competitive balance. Although Lotte leads slightly with 4 wins and 3 losses, the head-to-head results are meaningless in a match-up between top-ranking teams.

Hanwha has reversed their recently stagnant atmosphere, currently riding a four-game winning streak. They finished last weekend's series against LG with a record of 1 win and 1 draw, reclaiming the top spot. The balance between pitching and hitting is solid. The pitching staff has always been strong, and the batting lineup is also performing well. In June, their team batting average was .283, ranking second in the league. They are ahead of Lotte, which has a season batting average of .286. Lotte is currently recording a team batting average of .280 in June, naturally achieving the best winning percentage in June (7 wins and 4 losses, .636).

Ryu Hyun-jin is taking a brief rest due to pain in his inner thigh, and Estevan Florial is sidelined with an injury. Nevertheless, Hanwha remains unshaken. Substitute starters like Hwang Jun-seo and Cho Dong-uk are performing well, and Florial's injury gap is being filled by the emergence of a surprise star, Lee Won-seok. Players who struggled throughout the season, such as Roh Si-hwan and An Chi-hong, are also finding their rhythm.

All indicators and trends point to Hanwha's superiority. On the other hand, Lotte has just returned after an 8-game series in the metropolitan area. Despite injuries to several players, they managed to hold their ground with a record of 5 wins and 3 losses upon their return to Sajik.

In the situation where substitute players are filling the gaps, in the metropolitan series, Park Se-woong struggled and was sidelined, and lead-off hitter Jang Du-seong was also excluded from the first team roster due to a lung bruise. Nevertheless, Lotte is banding together to overcome this. The foreign hitter Víctor Reyes is showing an incredible batting form, and the joining of Choi Jun-Yong in the bullpen is alleviating some pressure.

Now, with Hanwha and Lotte each feeling the pressure from the other, foreign pitchers are set to take the lead in this series. This matchup also seems to favor Hanwha. Hanwha's Ryan Weiss is slated to start. Weiss has a record of 8 wins and 2 losses with an earned run average of 3.09 over 14 games this season, serving well as a one-two punch along with Cody Ponce.

His most recent start was against Doosan on the 10th, where he pitched 7 innings, allowing 3 hits, 1 walk, and striking out 10 without giving up a run to secure the win. After taking 6 days of rest, he returns to the mound. He was initially scheduled to pitch against LG on the 15th, but his turn was pushed back by one day with the arrival of Moon Dong-ju.

Physically recharged, he is also a formidable opponent. Hanwha's manager Kim Kyung-moon likely considered Weiss's dominant record against Lotte. Weiss is currently 2-0 in 2 games against Lotte with an earned run average of 2.57 (4 earned runs over 14 innings). He overwhelmed the Lotte lineup by striking out 23 batters in 14 innings. In the game on April 23, he allowed 8 hits, struck out 12 batters, and gave up 2 runs over 6 innings to secure the victory. In the game on May 17, he pitched 8 innings, allowing 4 hits (including 1 home run), striking out 11, and conceding 2 runs to win once again.

In a critical moment, Lotte will have Tucker Davidson starting. Davidson has a record of 6 wins and 2 losses with an earned run average of 3.55 over 14 games this season. After becoming the winning pitcher in a game on May 18 against Samsung with 6 innings, allowing 5 hits, 3 walks, and striking out 8 with 1 earned run, he has not secured a win in his last four games. Furthermore, his pitching performance has been shaky. In the game against Kiwoom on June 5, he pitched only 3⅔ innings, allowing 10 hits (including 2 home runs), 4 walks, 3 strikeouts, and conceding 9 runs, marking his worst outing of the season. In his most recent appearance on the 11th against KT, he pitched 5⅓ innings, allowing 7 hits, 1 walk, and hitting 1 batter, striking out 9 and conceding 3 runs, resulting in disappointing results.

Davidson has only faced Hanwha once this season, and that marked the beginning of his struggles. On May 24, against Hanwha, he pitched 5 innings, allowing 8 hits (including 2 home runs), 1 walk, hit 1 batter, struck out 6, and gave up 6 runs (4 earned runs) before leaving the mound. Although he recorded a no-decision, his memory of facing Hanwha isn't pleasant.

The fierce Hanwha faces Lotte, who is meeting yet another 'n-th crisis'. How will the matchup between the two teams unfold in Sajik?

[OSEN]