It was the Yankees’ young core that carried the offense on Wednesday, with Aaron Judge, Greg Bird, Gary Sanchez and Didi Gregorius delivering run-scoring hits, and Sanchez adding a final flourish with a solo home run in the seventh inning off reliever Brad Peacock.

It was more than enough with the way Masahiro Tanaka pitched. He duplicated his last performance at Yankee Stadium, when he shut out the Cleveland Indians on three hits over seven innings to keep the Yankees alive in the division series with a 1-0 victory in Game 3.

Tanaka walked one and struck out eight and endured only a few tense moments on Wednesday. After Yulieski Gurriel led off the second with a double and advanced to third on a groundout, Tanaka got Carlos Beltran and Marwin Gonzalez to ground out. In the fifth, with Tanaka nursing a 2-0 lead, Gonzalez singled and Brian McCann walked. But with Tommy Kahnle beginning to get loose in the bullpen, Tanaka struck out George Springer and Josh Reddick.

Tanaka, who had lost two playoff starts to Keuchel – as well as on opening day last season – pumped his fist and yelled when Reddick swung over a splitter.

It was the type of exultation Tanaka regularly exhibited in Japan but has eschewed in favor of a more reserved demeanor since arriving in New York four years ago.

The game also carried the type of atmosphere that had regularly brought out the best in Keuchel against the Yankees. He said Tuesday that nothing invigorated him when he is warming up in the visiting bullpen quite like haranguing from fans — and the smell of funnel cakes and hot dogs.

When he makes that trip at Yankee Stadium, it is particularly saucy. “My mother has a nicer beard than you,” one fan heckled Keuchel as he got loose on Wednesday evening.