New York ? They were facing the end of their season and a miserable winter after that.

New York Yankees starting pitcher CC Sabathia reacts after striking out Texas first baseman Mitch Moreland to end the top of the sixth inning. The Yankees won, 7-2, Wednesday in New York.

Not to worry, Joe Girardi said. Speaking in the wee hours before his players went home for a few hours sleep ahead of Game 5, the New York Yankees manager implored them not to give up.

“That was huge,” CC Sabathia said. “Just having us be able to relax and not panic.”

No panic here. Sabathia pitched like a champion, and the Yankees are heading for Texas.

Nick Swisher and Robinson Cano hit consecutive homers to build an early cushion, Sabathia made the lead stand up and the Yankees beat the Rangers, 7-2, Wednesday to close within 3-2 in the AL championship series.

“We’re right where we need to be,” Swisher said.

A late-arriving crowd for the late-afternoon game wondered whether this would be it for the defending World Series champs after Texas outscored them, 25-5, while winning three straight.

A difficult comeback? Yes.

Impossible? No.

As Girardi remembered telling his players, “Before we lost the three games in a row, we won four in a row.” He added: “Just look at tomorrow. Win a game tomorrow.”

By the time Curtis Granderson hit an eighth-inning homer for his second RBI of the game, belief among the Yankees was starting to grow.

Now the teams will go deep in the heart of Texas to decide the pennant in the best-of-seven series. When they resume in Arlington for Game 6 Friday, Phil Hughes starts for the Yankees against Colby Lewis in a rematch of Game 2, won by the Rangers 7-2.

“It’s great. We’re going back home,” Lewis said. “We’ve got to win one out of two.”

Texas may be holding the ultimate postseason ace in the hole: Cliff Lee would start a Game 7 against Andy Pettitte.

“Who cares about Cliff going in Game 7?” Texas right fielder Jeff Francoeur said. “We’ve got a game to win in Game 6.”

Still, Lee’s 7-0 postseason record is on their minds. In the 50th anniversary of a franchise that has never reached the World Series, Texas remains one win away.

“We’re in a good position,” second baseman Ian Kinsler said.

New York is trying to overcome its first 3-1 postseason deficit 1958. Since the LCS went to a best-of-seven format, 24 of the 30 previous teams to take 3-1 series leads have won pennants.

For Yankees fans, 2004 is still fresh. That’s when New York won the first three games of the ALCS, but the Boston Red Sox became the first major league team to rebound from 3-0 postseason deficit.

“Crazier things have happened,” Swisher said.

Yankees players actually dressed for success. They all arrived at the ballpark ready for a postgame charter flight.

“Our guys came in, everybody was wearing a suit,” Swisher said.

Rangers slugger Nelson Cruz made an early exit with hamstring trouble, a day after Yankees star Mark Teixeira was lost for the postseason with a hamstring injury.

Cruz expects to play Friday. But no matter what, the season is over for Teixeira. The All-Star first baseman was removed from the postseason roster and replaced by Eduardo Nunez, and Teixeira would not be eligible for the World Series.