One step closer

Yankees finally solve Keuchel, now up 3-2

NEW YORK — This time, it was Masahiro Tanaka who was untouchable on the mound.

And when the New York Yankees sent Houston ace Dallas Keuchel (Arkansas Razorbacks) to an early exit, their rollicking crowd let loose with a cathartic roar that must have boomed all over the Bronx.

One more victory, and these Yankees are World Series-bound.

Tanaka pitched seven innings of three-hit ball and New York finally solved a longtime nemesis at just the right moment, beating Keuchel and the Astros 5-0 on Wednesday for a 3-2 lead in the American League Championship Series. “It’s a special feeling,” Manager Joe Girardi said.

Gary Sanchez hit an RBI single off Keuchel and later homered to help the wild-card

Yankees win for the third consecutive day at home, moving within one victory of their first pennant since 2009 and record 41st overall.

The teams head back to Houston for Game 6 on Friday night, when Justin Verlander and the reeling Astros try to regain their footing following an off day and force a decisive Game 7. Luis Severino is scheduled to start for New York.

Just days ago, Houston was up two games to none and appeared to be closing in on its second World Series appearance. But the Astros, like defending AL champion Cleveland before them, have been unable to put away these poised Yankees, who improved to 6-0 at home in this postseason.

“It’s been unbelievable. I haven’t seen anything like it in Major League Baseball,” New York veteran Chase Headley said. “Reminds me of college football games. They’re going crazy the entire game. It’s a huge advantage for us.”

Aaron Judge, Greg Bird and Didi Gregorius also delivered big hits as New York chased Keuchel in the fifth and handed him his first postseason loss. Keuchel had been Yankees kryptonite, entering 6-2 with a 1.09 ERA in eight career starts against New York — including a pair of scoreless outings in playoff victories.

Both of those came at the expense of Tanaka, who lost 3-0 to Keuchel in the 2015 AL wild-card game at Yankee Stadium and 2-1 in Game 1 of this series. The ace lefty and 2015 Cy Young Award winner with the long, bushy beard entered 4-0 with a 1.69 ERA and 31 strikeouts in 262/3 postseason innings overall.

But this night belonged to Tanaka and the Yankees.

New York finally broke through against Keuchel with two outs in the second, when Starlin Castro doubled to deep left-center and scored on Bird’s sharp single. The sellout crowd of 49,647 almost sounded surprised by the hit — big enough for Bird to flash both thumbs down, doubling up on the Yankees’ playful sign to each other for clutch swings.

“The most frustrating part is the fact that I didn’t pick the

guys up and they were looking towards me to kind of saddle up and get this thing back going again,” Keuchel said. “That’s a talented group over there and 1 through 9 right now the bats have woken up and it’s quite a challenge.”

In the third, Judge grounded an RBI double just inside the third base line and past a diving Alex Bregman. Brett Gardner sped all the way around from first and scored with a headfirst slide.

Bregman’s throwing error on an infield single by Headley, who had three hits in the No. 9 spot, aided the Yankees in the fifth. Keuchel walked Judge with two outs before Sanchez lined a run-scoring single into the left-field corner.

Gregorius then grounded an RBI single up the middle that grazed the glove of diving second baseman Jose Altuve. With the score 4-0, it marked the end of the night for Keuchel and the most runs he’d ever allowed to New York.

With the stands pulsating, fans reveled in his slow walk to the dugout as the Yankee Stadium sound system blared “Goodbye To You” by Scandal.

“When you play at home, things like this happen and that’s why it’s so tough to win on the road in the playoffs,” Keuchel said. “New York is no joke. Yankee Stadium is a tough place to play and it was rockin’ these three games, but it’s going to be rockin’ on Friday for us.”

Sanchez hit his third postseason home run off Brad Peacock in the seventh to make it 5-0.

AP/DAVID J. PHILLIP Brett Gardner of the New York Yankees slides past Houston Astros catcher Brian McCann to score in the third inning of the Yankees’ 5-0 victory Wednesday in Game 5 of the American League Championship Series. New York leads the series 3-2.

AP/KATHY WILLENS Houston Astros starter Dallas Keuchel (Arkansas Razorbacks) was pulled in the fifth inning of Wednesday’s game. Keuchel allowed 4 runs on 7 hits with 8 strikeouts.

AP/FRANK FRANKLIN II hits an RBI single Wednesday during the fifth inning of the Yankees’ 5-0 victory over the Houston Astros in Game 5 of the American League Championship Series at Yankee Stadium in New York. Sanchez finished 2 for 4 with 2 RBI.