Yanks finish Indians
CLEVELAND — Didi Gregorius, following in the October footprints left by Derek Jeter, homered twice off Corey Kluber as the New York Yankees beat the Cleveland Indians, 5-2, in Game 5 last night to complete their comeback from a 2-0 deficit in the Division Series and dethrone the AL champions.
These bend-but-don’t-break Yankees staved off elimination for the fourth time in this postseason and will play the Houston Astros in the AL Championship Series starting tomorrow at Minute Maid Park.
“It’s just our time,” starter CC Sabathia said.
After winning twice in New York, the Yankees, with little offensive help from rookie star Aaron Judge, came into Progressive Field and finished off the Indians, who won 102 games during the regular season, ripped off a historic 22-game streak and were favored to get back to the World Series after losing in seven games a year ago to the Chicago Cubs.
Cleveland’s Series drought turns 70 next year, baseball’s longest dry spell.
The Indians closed to 3-2 in the fifth against Sabathia before David Robertson pitched 22⁄3 hitless innings for the win. Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman, who faced Cleveland in last year’s spine-tingling World Series, worked two innings for the save.
Chapman went to the mound with a three-run lead in the ninth after Brett Gardner battled Cody Allen for 12 pitches before hitting an RBI single, with the fifth run scoring when Todd Frazier raced home on right fielder Jay Bruce’s throwing error.
Gardner’s gritty at-bat was symbolic of the Yankees. They wouldn’t give in.
“We win a lot of different ways,” Gardner said.