BIGGIE FOR HIGGY
Yanks go with Kyle over Gary behind plate tonight
CLEVELAND — It shouldn’t be a surprise, but it is official. Kyle Higashioka will start Game 1 of the American League Wild Card Series behind the plate, catching ace Gerrit Cole. That snaps a streak of 27 straight postseason games that Sanchez has started for the Yankees.
“Higgy will catch (Cole) tomorrow. Over time, making that switch as we have over here, over the last several starts… And just with the roll that Gerrit and Higgy have been on and knowing that, if we’re to go deep in this postseason we’re going to need both of those guys,” Aaron Boone said Monday, before a rained-out workout at Progressive Field. “Especially when we get past this, when we get into everyday situations, both guys are obviously going to play. In Gary’s case, as I talked to him today, he’s got to be ready early, in the middle part of this game, there could be a big situation that calls for him.”
The Yankees had been using Cole and Higashioka as a battery for almost a month now. Cole’s last start of the season, was the fourth straight time that Boone has paired Higashioka with him. In those four starts, the righty has a 1.00 ERA. He has struck out 34 and allowed three home runs.
“Probably because we’re both from Southern California. I mean, we have a lot of the same interests,” Cole joked about why the pairing has thrived. “And Kyle’s ability to communicate, be a really creative thinker, good pitch framer, good pitch caller,” Cole said.
With Sanchez behind the plate,
Cole pitched to a 3.91 ERA with 60 strikeouts in 46 innings pitched over eight games. Opponents had a .265 batting average against and .776 OPS.
The entire Yankees pitching staff has an ERA of 4.61 with Sanchez behind the plate, compared to 3.77 with Higashioka.
Sanchez’s troubles haven’t been just behind the plate this year. The 27-yearold slashed .147/.253/.365 with 10 home runs, 24 RBI and 64 strikeouts in 156 at-bats over 49 games. Sanchez was benched this season to work on his swing and he gave the company line about being the “good soldier,” when asked about Higashioka taking over the role of catching Cole.
“He was fine,” Boone said of telling Sanchez of the decision. “He knows to be ready at any point early in the game, and knows that if we’re going to win a championship he’s going to be a big part of it.”
Higashioka, who came into the season as the backup but has earned more and more playing time, said he hopes this sparks Sanchez.
“I know Gary, and I know he’s extremely mentally tough,” Higashioka said. “So I know that if anything, it’s gonna just spur him on to perform even better, you know, get back to his normal self.”