Yankees’ Kyle Higashioka makes history, too, but felt like ‘a passenger’ catching perfect game

Nobody had a better view and understanding of just how brilliant Yankees pitcher Domingo German was Wednesday night at Oakland Coliseum than his catcher.

Kyle Higashioka also made some history catching Domingo German, who threw the 24th perfect game in 138 years of major league baseball in the Yankees’ 11-0 whitewash of the Athletics.

BUY YANKEES TICKETS: STUBHUB, VIVID SEATS, TICKETSMARTER, TICKETMASTER

Yogi Berra is first on the Yankees’ leaderboard for no-hitters caught with three — Allie Reynolds’ two no-nos in 1951 and Don Larsen’s perfect game in the 1956 World Series. All alone now in second place with two is Higashioka, who also caught Corey Kluber’s no-hitter at Texas on May 19, 2021.

Higashioka felt like he contributed two years ago, but not this time.

“Actually, it was quite different,” Higashioka said in a post-game interview. “Honestly, I was a passenger for this one. Just don’t miss the ball and don’t mess it up.

“Domingo was definitely driving the ship. He had a plan. I mean we both had a plan, but he had just ultimate confidence in his stuff. When he liked a pitch, he was he was sticking with it.”

Everything worked from start to finish. German set down Oakland 1-2-3 in the first on 11 pitches, throwing five fastballs, five curveballs and a changeup. His command was excellent, his benders nasty.

Nothing changed. By the fourth or fifth inning, Higashioka became aware that the Athletics hadn’t had a baserunner, but he didn’t think much of it.

“Perfect games are so rare you’re just like, ‘It’s probably not going to happen,’” he said. “A perfect game, who does that?”

Higashioka didn’t get a good look at the one big scare for German, a near hit in the fifth inning that was prevented by Yankees first baseman Anthony Rizzo.

The Yankees scored five in the top of the inning to pull ahead 6-0, then German took the mound again after sitting in the dugout for almost a half hour.

The Athletics’ fifth began with Carlos Perez retired on a harmless flyball to Giancarlo Stanton in right field, but German fell behind Seth Brown 2-1 and then hung a curveball that was hammered 106.5 mph near the first-base line. Rizzo dove to his left to make a great grab, then had plenty of time to throw from his knees to German, who covered first base.

Watching from behind home plate, Higashioka’s vision was blocked by Brown, a left-handed hitter.

“I knew it was a fantastic play by Rizz,” Higashioka said. “I thought it was hit hard. Sometimes when lefties pull the ball, I kind of lose the ball because they’re in the way, so I didn’t have a great view of that play. I saw him lay out for it.”

Scare averted, it was clear sailing to history for German.

Higashioka started getting excited after an eight-pitch seventh inning. German’s pitch count was just 83, so he still had a shot to go nine.

“I was like, ‘Wow, I think he actually can do this,’” Higashioka said.

German finished with two more easy innings, a 10-pitch eighth and then a six-pitch ninth. The final outs were on first-pitch curveballs, Shea Langeliers’ flyball to center and Esteury Ruiz’s perfecto-clinching groundball to third base.

“The eighth and ninth, he still cruised through both of those,” Higashioka said. “It was just a privilege to be back there for him. The way his stuff was working, he would have thrown it to anybody and I’m just lucky to have been back there.”

The history of it all blew Higashioka’s mind.

“When you think about a perfect game as it’s happening, there’s no way,” Higashioka said. “It’s only happened 23 other times. I still haven’t fully processed it. I’m so happy for Domingo to have a night like this. It’s incredible.”

Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting us with a subscription.

Randy Miller may be reached at rmiller@njadvancemedia.com.