"I'm glad I treated him to a meal." They understood each other just by looking! LG duo ends 8th-inning, one-out, bases-loaded crisis with "ironclad detail," filling Moon Bo-kyung's void [Changwon on-site]

*This content was translated by AI.

"I'm glad I treated him to a meal."

You can't hit home runs like Moon Bo-kyung (26). Instead, Koo Bon-hyuk (29, LG Twins) found his own way to help the team secure victory.

On the 15th, LG defeated NC Dinos 3-2 in an away game at Changwon NC Park in Gyeongnam as part of the 2026 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League regular season. The third-place LG, riding a three-game winning streak, improved to 71 wins, 1 tie, and 55 losses, continuing its chase after second-place Samsung Lions.

This was the first game played after several players were called up for the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games (AG) representative team. LG's starting third baseman Moon Bo-kyung and ace reliever Kim Young-woo (21) departed for the national squad. In particular, how to fill the void left by Moon Bo-kyung, who is responsible for extra-base hits in the heart of the lineup, became a key challenge for the remainder of the regular season.

LG manager Yeom Kyung-yeop (58) selected Koo Bon-hyuk as his first-choice third baseman. Koo started at the sixth spot in the batting order and played third base on this day. At the plate, he left a disappointing impression with four hits in four at-bats, including several well-hit balls that went directly into fielders' bodies.

However, his defensive presence shone brightly. Scenes emerged that explained why Manager Yeom entrusted Koo Bon-hyuk first to fill Moon Bo-kyung's absence. In the bottom of the 5th inning with a 2-0 lead and one out, Cheon Jae-hwan (32) hit a double into left-center field. When Kim Hyung-jun (27) grounded out, Cheon Jae-hwan survived at third base, resulting in a one-out, first-and-third situation. However, a hard-hit ball from Kwon Hee-dong (36) went straight to Koo Bon-hyuk's glove at third base, and infielder Moon Jung-bin (23) at first base fielded Choi Jeong-won's grounder, allowing LG to escape the danger without conceding a run.

The highlight came in the bottom of the 8th inning. With LG leading 3-0, they suddenly fell behind 3-2 after Blaine Crim (29) hit a two-run home run to center field. Kim Hwi-jip (24) reached base on a walk, and pinch-runner Oh Tae-yang (20) was inserted. Park Geon-woo (36) then hit a single into left-center field, giving NC a one-out, first-and-third opportunity.

A single would have tied the game. However, when Seo Ho-cheol (30) struck out swinging, catcher Lee Ju-heon (23) immediately threw to third base. Oh Tae-yang, who had strayed far from the base, hurriedly returned but was too late. Koo Bon-hyuk caught the throw and tagged him out instantly, resulting in a double play. NC's most powerful comeback opportunity vanished.

This was not a pre-planned play. Koo Bon-hyuk and Lee Ju-heon read each other's thoughts just by exchanging glances. There was an interesting backstory behind this. After the game, Koo told StarNews, "Actually, I treated Ju-heon to a meal last Sunday (13th) after the game ended. From that moment on, something clicked, and it carried over to today's game," he smiled. He continued, "I really signaled with my eyes, and Ju-heon said he received it too. So when a strikeout occurred, we seemed to communicate only through eye contact to throw to third base." He added with a smile, "I'm glad I treated him to a meal."

Of course, this play was not created by a single meal alone. The scene of understanding each other's intentions solely through eye contact and executing it in a one-run game during the bottom of the 8th inning with one out and runners on first and third demonstrated the power of defense and detail that LG has emphasized. Koo Bon-hyuk stated, "When our team is playing well, I think such focus naturally comes from our defense."

His approach to filling Moon Bo-kyung's void was no different. He believes in contributing to the team by doing what he does best. Koo explained, "(Moon) Bo-kyung left, but we didn't have separate discussions among players. Since a key hitter is out and I'm stepping in, I want to focus more on defense and details where I can excel."

He further emphasized, "I may not be able to show the home runs or extra-base power that Bo-kyung excels at, but when he's absent, I'll try to focus even more on defense and tactical execution that I can handle."

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*This content was translated by AI.