This is why LG is #1.
The KBO is a 144-game long race. Given the uncertainty of baseball and its many variables, I believe that a team wins one-third of the time and loses one-third of the time, no matter how good or bad they are. In those one-third losses, we sometimes experience shocking defeats. A mistake or poor performance by a player you trusted, a crucial boneheaded play, etc. An upset loss in a game you thought you had won. Various situations can happen.
LG took a 3-0 lead into the top of the ninth inning against KT in Suwon on June 6, only to lose a shocking 3-4 decision in the bottom of the ninth, despite bringing in Go Woo-seok to close out the game. Go Woo-seok struggled, and third baseman Moon Bo-kyung made a poor move to handle Hwang Jae-gyun’s big boundary hit with two outs.
Hwang Jae-gyun hit the game-winning hit, but it was a hit that could have been handled by third baseman Moon Bo-kyung. It was also pointed out by KBS N Sports commentator Park Yong-taek that the team was momentarily disorganized as they squinted to check the second baseman rather than the pitch. After the game ended, Moon Bo-kyung could be seen on the broadcast screen looking very dejected.
It was a pretty damaging loss for LG, especially considering that Casey Kelly, who has been struggling all season, pitched well with seven innings of two-hit ball, striking out eight and walking two. It also sucked that their opponent was second-place KT, who they could potentially meet in the Korean Series.
However, LG went on to beat KT 11-4 in Suwon on July 7. Lee Jung-yong, who was transformed into a starter, established a quality start and the bats came alive, especially Moon Bo-kyung, who had made a crucial mistake the day before and went 4-for-4 with three hits and one walk. The defense was also stable, unlike the previous day.
It was impressive, as if they were proudly showing why they are the No. 1 team. In baseball, it’s often said that it’s all about replay and forgetting, and LG did a good job of forgetting the previous day’s bad loss. LG also has the advantage of being able to flexibly respond to any variables due to its thick basic depth. This is a big help on the mound.
Moon Bo-kyung, a right-handed hitting infielder, is batting .293 with 122 hits in 416 at-bats, eight home runs, 61 RBI, 67 runs scored, seven doubles, an OPS of .801 and a slugging percentage of .262 in 115 games this season. He established himself as the starting third baseman last year and is in the process of building his range. LG has faith that Moon will develop into a good offensive third baseman.
In fact, it was revealed by hitting coach Lee Ho-joon that Moon cried in the dugout after failing to lay down a sacrifice bunt with runners on first and second in the bottom of the eighth inning of last year’s 4-6 playoff loss to Kiwoom in the third game of the playoffs in Scottsdale, Arizona, in February. At the time, attention was focused on the super play that sent Kim Jae-woong flying. It was actually a decisive moment that changed the course of the entire series in favor of Kiwoom. Moon Bo-kyung, on the other hand, was disappointed.메이저놀이터
At the time, Coach Lee Ho-joon said that Moon’s tears were really ugly to see. He told her that no matter what happened, she shouldn’t show weakness to her opponent during the match. A year later, Moon was a different girl. Although LG had to endure a heartbreaking 1-0 loss, it had the side effect of strengthening Moon’s mentality.