Chappy finishes job this time in Cleveland

CLEVELAND — Aroldis Chapman picked up the save in Wednesday night’s 5-2 Game 5 victory over the Indians to finish off the Yankees’ ALDS win at Progressive Field. On the same field a year ago, he gave up a game-tying homer to Rajai Davis in the eighth inning of Game 7 of the World Series while pitching for the Cubs.

“That wasn’t on my mind at all,” Chapman said through an interpreter of the deciding game the Cubs wound up winning in 10 innings over the Indians in 2016.

Chapman entered Wednesday in the eighth inning, this time to start the inning with the Yankees clinging to a onerun lead.

Joe Girardi didn’t take any chances with an ALDS victory over the Indians in sight, so he went to his closer for the last six outs of the game and Chapman earned another save in the Yankees’ seriesclinching 5-2 win.

“I knew it was an important game, and if we needed me to go more than two innings, there was a chance I would have to do that,” Chapman said. “I’m fine with that.”

He retired the side in order in the eighth, fanning two, after David Robertson held the Indians’ lineup down for 2 2/3 innings in relief of CC Sabathia.

Still with three outs to go, the Yankees — and Cleveland’s awful defense — gave Chapman some margin for error.

The Yankees scored two runs in the top of the ninth, one unearned, to make it a three-run lead.

“When you’re winning by one run, anything can happen,” Chapman said. “We were able to score some runs there and it helps you relax and get focused.”

The closer said he moved around a lot in the top of the ninth, which took nearly a half hour to complete, and he pitched around a leadoff walk in the bottom of the inning.

“[Chapman] wants to win,” Joe Girardi said. “He’s a winner and that’s why we went out and got him again [in the offseason] because we knew that he was really, really good at what he did and he obviously pitched in the World Series and loves the competition. I mean, his innings were great this whole series.”