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

CLEVELAND — Three relief pitchers who barely figured into 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 defeated the Guardians 5-2 in Game 5 of the ALCS.

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

As recently as June 18, Hill was struggling with a 5.87 ERA for the White Sox, who would become the worst single-season team in modern 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 roster after spring training and was subsequently traded to the Yankees — also answered the bell in Game 5.

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The duo combined for eight big outs.

The left-handed lateral Hill faced four batters and hit two double plays – no easy feat – 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 relievers Clay Holmes and Tommy Kahnle likely unavailable, replacing Mark Leiter Jr. in the sixth with one on and one out .

He gave up a single to Bo Naylor before setting up a 4-4-3 double play from Andres Gimenez.

Manager Aaron Boone stuck with Hill early in the seventh and showed confidence in him after he gave Brayan Rocchio the lead.

Hill rewarded the faith by retiring Steven Kwan – who extended his Cleveland franchise-record postseason streak to 16 straight games – due to an unassisted double play by Oswaldo Cabrera.

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.

“(Hill) had a little more (time) in the trenches there,” Cousins ​​said earlier this postseason of her time with the 121-loss White Sox. “But the fact that we’re both in that bullpen and playing important roles, it’s a very cool scenario to get in a good situation and just get going.”

Weaver entered the season as a potential long man after making an incredibly strong impression last season.

He got bigger and bigger roles until he replaced Holmes as closer in September.

After making one pitch in the Yankees’ first seven playoff games, Weaver was bypassed for the save in Game 4.

The rest day allowed him to pitch two innings to close out the series, including the win in an eight-pitch duel with Bo Naylor.

The three may still be called “journeymen,” but Yankees fans will remember those names.