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'Opponent ERA 8.58' Lotte's Na Gyun-ahn, who ignored defense this time
A mountain that has never been climbed, is it the jinx again?
Lotte Giants pitcher Na Gyun-ahn collapsed again against the KIA Tigers. Na gave up six runs (three earned) on seven hits (one home run), four walks (one wild pitch), two strikeouts, and six hits in five innings against KIA at Kia Champions Field in Gwangju on April 27.
Selected by Lotte as a catcher in the second round of the 2017 rookie draft, Na Gyun-ahn decided to switch to pitching after fracturing the metacarpal bone in his left hand during spring training in 2020. He took to the mound in the 2021 season and was in the starting rotation full-time last year. In three seasons as a pitcher, Na compiled a 10-18 record, one save, three holds, and a 4.28 ERA in 85 games.
He was particularly weak against the Kia. In 11 games (five starts), he pitched 28⅓ innings with no wins, four losses (one shutout), and an 8.58 ERA. His ERA was the worst by opponent. He was able to settle in as a pitcher with his heavy delivery and big forkball, but he was unable to avoid KIA's bats.
After giving up a walk to Socrates Brito with two outs in the bottom of the first inning, Na Gyun-ahn opted for a full-count forkball against Choi Hyung-woo, but the ball got away from him and he gave up a two-run homer to left. After giving up a single to Lee Woo-sung, he gave up a walk to Kim Sun-bin.
Lotte's Yoo Soo-jin couldn't help a shaky Na Gyun-an. With runners on first and second, Hwang Dae-in hit a fly ball to left field that the left fielder, third baseman, and shortstop all failed to catch. The runner from second stepped on home plate, and then the runner from first, but the throw was a little faster, and the catcher, Yoo Kang-nam, lost the ball. Na Gyun-an gave up a single to left-center to Kim Tae-gun, a walk to Choi Won-joon, and a single to left to Park Chan-ho, giving up two more runs. He threw 40 pitches in the first inning alone.
Still, he fulfilled his starting pitcher's responsibilities. Na Gyun-ahn held the bullpen scoreless from the second through the fifth innings. Considering it was the second game of a three-game midweek series and the rest of the schedule, it was a consolation for Lotte that he lasted until the fifth inning and saved the bullpen, but for Na, it was a night he doesn't want to relive.