Yankees clinch 53rd playoff berth with win over Toronto

New York matches season high of 18 games over .500

TORONTO — One year into a rebuild, the New York Yankees are back in the playoffs.

Greg Bird, among the new generation of Baby Bombers, hit a three-run homer that led New York over the Toronto Blue Jays 5-1 on Saturday to clinch no worse than a wild card.

“I feel like our motto in the offseason was: ‘We’re going to surprise people,’” Bird said. “Obviously, we had a good spring, but we knew that wasn’t the real deal. We came out and played our game the whole year, and I feel like we showed people.”

Sonny Gray (10-11), among New York’s midseason reinforcements, allowed one run and four hits in six innings as the Yankees won for the 11th time in 14 games and at 86-68 matched their season high of 18 games over .500.

“I didn’t know exactly what we were going to be this year, but when I saw the way these kids were playing in spring training and the depth of our talent, it got me really excited and I thought it was possible,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said.

Chase Headley reached base three times to help the Yankees reach the postseason for the 53rd time in franchise history. The Los Angeles Dodgers are second with 31.

“We’re a lot better than a lot of people thought we were,” Headley said.

Led by Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez, New York celebrated in a low-key manner on the field after former-Yankee Rob Refsnyder hit a game-ending groundout off Aroldis Chapman, then sprayed bubbly in the visitors’ clubhouse.

“This is just the beginning,” Judge said. “We’ve got a chance to be in the postseason, now we’ve got to keep it rolling.”

Toronto was eliminated with the loss after consecutive losses in the AL Championship Series.

Fred Thornhill The Associated Press New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge, left, and C.C. Sabathia celebrate in the locker room after the Yankees clinched a playoff berth in Toronto on Saturday.