These are not the classic evil empire Yankees, but they went about their business like them Saturday.

Greg Bird's go-ahead three-run home run lead the Yankees over the Blue Jays, 5-1 in Toronto, to help the Bronx Bombers clinch a postseason berth.

Trailing Toronto 1-0 in a pitchers' duel in the fifth inning, Bird crushed a Joe Biagini slider with two men on, giving the Yankees a 3-1 lead that they would not relinquish.

Sonny Gray had just a Teoscar Hernandez hiccup in six innings for New York; Hernandez sent a Gray changeup long for his fourth home run of the year.

Despite the homerun and command issues at times, issuing three walks, Gray allowed just four hits over 96 pitches Saturday, striking out four.

Third baseman Todd Frazier tacked on a solo shot in top of the eighth inning, and Jacoby Ellsbury scored on the fifth Yankee run on a Starlin Castro single in the ninth inning.

The Yankees entered the game trailing the Boston Red Sox by four games for first place in the American League East, with the season ending Oct. 1. New York does not have another game against Boston this regular season.

The Yankees look slated to host the American League (AL) Wild Card Game at Yankee Stadium, however; they were 5.5 games up on the Minnesota Twins for the first wild card spot entering Saturday afternoon.

This is the Yankees' first playoff berth since 2015, when the Houston Astros' Dallas Keuchel helped blank New York, 3-0, at Yankee Stadium in the AL Wild Card Game.

The last time the Yankees made the postseason before that year was 2012, when the Detroit Tigers swept them in the Division Series.

That sweep capped off a run of 17 Yankees playoff appearances in 18 years, which included five World Series titles.

A glut of young talent, highlighted by 78 home runs between rookie Aaron Judge and second-year catcher Gary Sanchez, and more prospects in the pipeline, has fans hoping a new dynasty is blooming this year.

If the Yankees play in the one-game playoff and win, they would almost certainly face either the Cleveland Indians or the Houston Astros in the American League Division Series.