Tim Hill and Jake Cousins ​​help the Yankees reach the World Series

CLEVELAND — Three relief pitchers who figured little or not in the Yankees' plans at the end of spring training helped punch their ticket to the World Series.

Tim Hill, Jake Cousins ​​​​and Luke Weaver combined for the final 14 outs Saturday as the Yankees beat the Guardians 5-2 in 10 innings in Game 5 of the ALCS.

“We all went there with some heart,” Hill said, “and got the job done.”

Weaver was the winning pitcher after Juan Soto's game-winning three-run home run in the top of the 10th inning.

He pitched the final two innings.

“It meant the world,” Weaver said. “It will take a long time. The role I have, what I do, a great team, that's why I signed up, to revitalize and return to a winning culture. This is the moment I was looking forward to and now I get to appreciate it.”

As recently as June 18, Hill was struggling with a 5.87 ERA for the White Sox, who would become the most losing team in a single season in MLB history. He was fired the next day, and now his former teammates and coaches watch him achieve big things in playoff games day after day.

And Hill wasn't the only one who got the last laugh.

Cousins ​​— who didn't make the White Sox's 121-loss roster after spring training and was subsequently traded to the Yankees — also answered the bell in Game 5. The duo combined for eight big outs.

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The left-handed lateral Hill faced four batters and hit two double plays to help the Yankees keep the score at 2-2.

Hill threw a pitch for the third straight day and fifth time in five games this series, with top hitters Clay Holmes and Tommy Kahnle likely unavailable. Hill finished the sixth and started the seventh.

“It was a little hard to get hot (for the fifth game in a row),” Hill said, “but I thought, 'This is what we damn well came for.' You have to fight through it and be mentally stronger than the others.”

Hill rewarded manager Aaron Boone's faith by retiring Steven Kwan – who had previously extended his Cleveland franchise record by reaching base in the 16th straight postseason game – due to an unassisted double play by Oswaldo Cabrera.

“I'm glad I was able to show them that I was actually what they wanted,” Hill said.

Cousins, who was used far more sparingly than Hill in the playoffs, struck out four of the five batters he faced entering the seventh and earned a two-out walk in the eighth. He clenched his fists and let out a loud scream as he left the hill.

Weaver entered the season as a potential long man after making an incredibly strong impression last season. In 2024 he started getting bigger and bigger roles until he replaced Holmes as closer in September.

After pitching in the Yankees' first seven playoff games, Weaver was bypassed for the save in Game 4. The rest day allowed him to go two innings to end the series.