YANKGAMEDAY

CLEVELAND – The Yankees continue to make Klubot look human.

After knocking him around twice in the playoffs last season, the Bombers got the best of Corey Kluber once again on Thursday night. Aaron Hicks ripped the go-ahead double off the reigning AL Cy Young award winner with one out in the eighth, and the Yankees beat the Indians, 7-4, at Progressive Field.

The Bombers are 17-6 against the other four teams currently occupying AL playoff spots.

This wasn’t the pitchers’ duel it was expected to be, as both Luis Severino and Kluber struggled.

Severino allowed four runs on a season-high nine hits in five innings. He walked one and struck out a season-low one.

Kluber was tagged for six runs on eight hits in 7.1 innings. He walked two and struck out nine.

Didi Gregorius, who homered twice off Kluber in Game 5 of the ALDS, took the Indians ace deep to right for a 430-foot solo shot leading off the fourth. Brett Gardner also took Kluber yard for a two-run shot in the third and later, in the ninth, clanged one off the right-field foul pole for his second homer.