Pearce will start at first base and bat third against the Yankees during Game 1 of the ALDS on Friday, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Pearce has always been a thorn in the side of Yankees' pitcher J.A. Happ, and with the latter on the mound for the first game of the series, manager Alex Cora elected to give Pearce a start and place Mitch Moreland on the bench. Across his career, Pearce has hit six home runs and holds a 1.419 OPS versus Happ. In addition, five of Pearce's 11 home runs this year have come against New York.