Yankees' Kyle Higashioka to catch Gerrit Cole vs. Indians

New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone announced on Monday afternoon that Kyle Higashioka will catch Gerrit Cole in Game 1 of the postseason series against the Cleveland Indians that takes place Tuesday evening at Progressive Field. 

Per ESPN, Cole tallied an ERA of 1.00 in the four starts that included Higashioka working behind the plate. To compare, Cole compiled a 3.91 ERA in eight starts when Gary Sanchez was catching. 

American League Cy Young candidate Shane Bieber (8-1, 1.63 ERA) will take the bump for the Indians on Tuesday. 

In 16 games during the pandemic-shortened season, Higashioka, 30, hit .250 with four home runs and 10 RBI. Sanchez, meanwhile, batted .147 with 10 homers and 24 RBI. Bryan Hoch of MLB.com noted that the 27-year-old committed four interference errors during the regular season.