Didi Gregorius homers twice as Yankees beat Indians in deciding Game 5

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 on Wednesday 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 advanced to play the Houston Astros in the AL Championship Series starting Friday at Minute Maid Park.

"It's just our time," starter CC Sabathia said.

The AL West champion Astros, led by 5-6 dynamo and MVP candidate Jose Altuve, went 5-2 against the wild-card winners this season.

After winning twice in New York, manager Joe Girardi and 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 winning 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.

The Indians closed to 3-2 in the fifth inning against Sabathia before David Robertson pitched 2⅔ hitless innings for the win. Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman, who faced Cleveland in last year's World Series when he was with the Cubs and signed an $86 million free agent contract in December, worked two innings for the save.

Gardner's gritty at-bat was symbolic of these Yankees. They wouldn't give in.

"We can win a lot of different ways," Gardner said.

When the Indians' Austin Jackson was called out on strikes to end it, the Yankees rushed to the mound to celebrate with a wide-eyed Chapman. Girardi broke into a huge smile and hugged his coaches.

These Bronx Bombers became the 10th team to overcome a 2-0 deficit to win a best-of-five playoff series. New York also did it in 2001, rallying to beat Oakland.

Gregorius, who took over at shortstop following Jeter's retirement after the 2014 season, hit a solo homer in the first off Kluber and added a two-run shot in the third off Cleveland's ace.

They came up short again, and have now lost six consecutive games with a chance to clinch a postseason series dating to last year's World Series, when they squandered a 3-1 lead to the Chicago Cubs.

Cleveland is the first team in history to blow a two-game series lead in consecutive postseasons.