"Don't feel burdened, Ii-mura; give it your all as a starter," the manager reassured the foreign investor, urging the Lotte team with 32 games remaining [Busan Field]

*This content was translated by AI.

Lotte Giants manager Kim Tae-hyung (59) aimed to build a team capable of competing from the start of the season.

On the 28th, Manager Kim Tae-hyung met with reporters at Busan Sajik Baseball Stadium to outline his plans for the remainder of the season. The home game against LG Twins scheduled for that day was canceled due to continuous rain starting on the previous day (the 27th). Subsequently, all four other KBO League games across different stadiums were also canceled due to rain and field conditions, resulting in a Friday without any baseball.

For Lotte, this rain came as welcome news. Recently, Lotte's pitching mound has been significantly shaken, leading to three consecutive losses. On the 25th against the Gwangju KIA Tigers, closer Kim Won-joong surrendered a bases-loaded home run in the bottom of the ninth with two outs, losing a 5-4 lead. The following day (the 26th) against Gwangju KIA, foreign pitcher Alvin Rodriguez collapsed after just 3⅔ innings, allowing eight earned runs, resulting in a heavy 11-16 defeat.

As a result of these setbacks, the closer role was switched from Kim Won-joong to Ii-mura Shota (28). Ii-mura was inserted as an Asia quota player and has recorded two wins and two losses with a 6.75 ERA in 20 games. Despite his poor performance, his strength lies in delivering heavy pitches. Lotte now stands at 50 wins, two draws, and 60 losses, having fallen six positions behind the NC Dinos to sixth place, widening the gap to 8.5 games from fifth-place Doosan Bears.

With rain forecast through the weekend, Lotte has gained valuable time for regrouping. Starting pitchers for both teams have already changed for the game on the 29th: Lotte switched from Na Gyun-an to Kim Jin-wook, while LG replaced Kim Yun-sik with Carlos KARA-sco.

Speaking to reporters before the game, Manager Kim Tae-hyung briefly responded, "I told (new closer) Ii-mura not to feel burdened and just throw as he normally does."

He urged inconsistent foreign pitchers to step up. The power duo of Jeremy Wisely and Alvin Rodriguez, who had drawn high expectations with their 156 km/h fastballs, have experienced both highs and lows throughout the season. Things have not improved since August. Wisely has posted a 7.99 ERA over four games, making it difficult to expect a quality start (six innings or more with three or fewer earned runs), while Rodriguez also struggled in his most recent outing after a strong start. Rodriguez's August stats show a 4.15 ERA across four games.

Manager Kim Tae-hyung expressed concern: "I hope the foreign starters can give more effort. Foreign pitchers tend to rely on their fastball velocity, believing in it themselves. While throwing with confidence is fine if control is maintained, they seem to be putting in unnecessary force. There's no need for that, yet they do, leading to more balls and hits."

He continued, "Even when facing batters quickly, they often throw two or three extra pitches unnecessarily. Of course, each pitcher has their own style, but catchers know best. In such cases, wouldn't it be better to listen closely and pitch immediately?"

However, the manager placed even greater emphasis on something beyond the foreign pitchers: early-game momentum. If runs are scored early, including the first run, starting pitchers naturally face less pressure. He also hoped the lineup would generate early offense, allowing starters to maintain steady performance.

Manager Kim Tae-hyung emphasized, "While I hope foreign pitchers can step up, if batters can deliver early, starters might feel less burdened. Opposing starters tend to get hit hard once they're off the mound, but early battles are extremely important. Scoring the first run and building a lead could increase our chances of winning."

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*This content was translated by AI.