Daejeon: Anders Tolhurst began the 2025 season in April with the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, the Double-A affiliate for the Toronto Blue Jays. He ended it Friday as the winning pitcher in the final game of the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) campaign, as the right-hander helped the LG Twins capture the Korean Series championship. Tolhurst threw seven innings of one-run ball in the Twins' 4-1 win over the Hanwha Eagles in Game 5 of the KBO championship series at Daejeon Hanwha Life Ballpark in the central city of Daejeon.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Tolhurst, who moved up to Triple-A later in April, signed with the Twins in August as a replacement for Elieser Hernandez. In eight regular-season starts, Tolhurst went 6-2 with a 2.86 ERA and allowed just one earned run in his first 25 innings across four starts in his first month. Although he faced challenges in September, Tolhurst returned to form during the Korean Series.
In his Game 1 start, Tolhurst scattered seven hits across six innings and allowed two earned runs. He struck out seven and walked none, earning the Player of the Game title in an 8-2 victory. With the Twins holding a 3-1 series lead, Tolhurst took the mound again in Game 5 on Friday. Despite some early struggles, Tolhurst managed to limit the damage, allowing just one run in the second inning.
Tolhurst's performance improved as the game progressed. He induced a double play in the third inning and struck out key batters, maintaining control over the game. By the fourth inning, he was nearly unhittable, efficiently retiring batters with minimal pitches.
In the seventh inning, Tolhurst struck out Choi Jae-hoon with a fastball, marking his 97th pitch of the night. His energetic reaction upon returning to the dugout signaled his satisfaction with his performance. Tolhurst's pitch selection included 46 fastballs, 21 cutters, 15 curveballs, 14 forkballs, and one slider.
Relievers Kim Jin-sung and You Young-chan each contributed a scoreless inning to secure the victory, culminating in the LG Twins' championship win.