Lotte pitcher Na Gyun-an responded with skill to the question, “Why is Na Kyun-an the second starter?”
The Lotte Giants won 2-0 in the second leg of the opening two-game series against the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League Doosan Bears held at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul on the 2nd. Lotte recorded 1 win and 1 loss in the season, avenging the reverse defeat at the end of the 11th overtime the previous day.
The protagonist of the victory was starter Na Kyun-an. In 6⅔innings against the Doosan lineup, he presented the team with the first win of the season by giving 5 hits, 2 walks, 4 strikeouts and no runs. With exactly 100 thrown, the ratio of strikes (65) to balls (35) was ideal, and he won the victory with various breaking balls such as slider, cutter, splitter, and curveball under a fastball of up to 148 km.
After the game, Na Kyun-an said, “(You) Gangnam hyung was very good at leading. He understood the course and type of pitch I wanted,” he said. “It was his first appearance this season, and it was an honor just to be in the opening series. He tried not to be very nervous, but when he went up, he became nervous. However, I think there were rather good results because I was nervous.”
Na Kyun-an, who has digested 100 pitches since his first appearance, said, “The physical part has definitely improved. As his stamina improved, his pitch and type of pitch improved,” he said. “Since spring camp, his coaches have helped him a lot with his stamina. He has been steadily building up the number of pitches and innings,” he revealed the secret.
Na Kyun-an turned from catcher to pitcher in 2020 and is now in his fourth year as a pitcher. He is in his third season as a pitcher if limited to the first team. In response, some raised questions about coach Larry Sutton’s decision to pick Na Kyun-an as the second starter for the opening series.
Na Kyun-an said, “Even before the season started, the coach told me that I was the second starter, but people around me said, ‘Why is Na Kyun-an the second starter?’ The coach wanted me to prove this to myself,” he said. He showed his concentration and played a good game.”
Na Kyun-ahn passed the mound to rookie Lee Tae-yeon in the seventh inning with two outs on first and second base and finished the game.토토사이트 And as he made his way to the dugout, he received a standing ovation from Lotte fans who packed third base. Na Kyun-an said, “There are many things that give me goosebumps when I come to Jamsil. Many Lotte fans come not only to Jamsil, but to all stadiums. Whenever I hear the cheers of Lotte fans, I get goose bumps and my hair stands on end.”
Na Kyun-an was able to erase all the successors as rookie Lee Tae-yeon hit pinch hitter Shin Sung-hyun. Regarding this, he said, “I never thought (Lee) Taeyeon would come up in that situation. He gave Taeyeon the advice, ‘Throw comfortably as you like’. I was so grateful that I hugged him,” he said proudly of his junior.
Na Kyun-an, who had a good start to the season, said, “My goal this year is to be full-time. I want to play full-time as a starter in the first team.”