Seoul: LG Twins slugger Moon Bo-gyeong is no stranger to the view from the top of the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) standings. It was only two seasons ago that the Twins won both the regular-season crown and the Korean Series title, ending a 29-year drought. They have been in the postseason every year since Moon began his career in 2021.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the 25-year-old infielder also understands the value of staying on an even keel over the course of the 144-game KBO season. After his go-ahead, three-run home run lifted the Twins past the Doosan Bears 4-2 on Tuesday and pushed them to first place for the first time since June 27, Moon didn't want to get carried away.
"Obviously, it's great to be in first place today, but I don't want to get too complacent," Moon said at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul. "We still have 40 games left. I hope we get to stand on top at the end of the season."
Thanks to Moon's clutch homer off reliever Ko Hyo-jun in the seventh inning, the Twins improved to 62-40-2 (wins-losses-ties). The Hanwha Eagles, who held a 0.004-point lead in winning percentage over the Twins entering Tuesday, lost to the KT Wiz 5-2 and dropped to 59-39-3, now a full game back.
As recently as July 22, the Twins sat 5 1/2 games behind the Eagles.
"We always want to be first place, but rather than worrying about who's ahead of us, we've been trying to focus on playing our game," Moon said. "We have to take care of our business to catch whoever is above us. So that's what we've been trying to do."
The Twins have now won seven consecutive games. They are a league-best 14-2-0 since the All-Star break.
"Even when we were trailing in games, there have been moments when it felt like we weren't going to lose," Moon said. "No matter what the situation is, we always try to find ways to win."
Asked to compare this year's Twins to the 2023 version, Moon said, "It was two years ago and I don't think anyone here is trying to make that comparison. We're trying to take it one game at a time."
After Tuesday, Moon has 21 home runs and 85 RBIs, well on his way to break previous career highs of 22 homers and 101 RBIs from 2024.
"I should have capitalized on earlier chances," said Moon, who grounded out with the bases loaded in the third inning and hit another grounder with a runner at second in the fifth inning. "When I stepped into the box in the seventh, I wanted to get the job done no matter what."