CLEVELAND -- You could accurately describe it as “toughness and grit,” as Matt Carpenter did. Gerrit Cole points to a sense that every game should be within reach for this seasoned roster, while manager Aaron Boone sees a club that has marched through the first half “on a mission.”

To borrow a phrase from the band Chumbawamba, those noted philosophers of our times: When these Yankees get knocked down, they get up again.

Flushing a tough one-run loss to the Astros in Houston, the Bombers busted out the bats in a doubleheader sweep of the Guardians on Saturday at Progressive Field, notching victories by scores of 13-4 and 6-1.

“We always give ourselves a chance,” Cole said. “That’s where our ability just to come out the next day [comes from]. If we had a shot and didn’t do it, let’s give ourselves a shot today. And we come through.”

Before Nestor Cortes pitched six sharp innings and Giancarlo Stanton rounded the bases with his 100th homer as a Yankee in Game 2, Carpenter homered twice and Gleyber Torres raked three hits with three RBIs in the opener, helping New York improve to 16-5 this season in games immediately following a loss.

They are 6-1 in their last seven games after a defeat, having dropped consecutive contests just four times this season -- the fewest in the Majors.

“That’s a great stat,” Carpenter said. “Guys have been able to turn the page and show up the next day, ready to go. It’s just a lot of good ballplayers, a lot of guys that get after it and do the right things.”

Said Boone: “I feel like they handle wins and losses well, but I also think they get pissed off when they lose, too. They take it a little bit personally, flush it and then get over it. It’s not like it lingers or anything, but they’re ticked off. They’ve had that ‘don’t give anything’ [mindset].”

Cole surrendered back-to-back homers to Josh Naylor and Franmil Reyes in the second inning, and then it was all Yankees. DJ LeMahieu homered, Miguel Andújar (summoned from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre as Saturday’s 27th man) stroked a run-scoring single and Aaron Hicks contributed a two-run, two-out hit as New York grabbed the lead in the third inning.

In the nightcap, Cortes surrendered a first-inning homer to Amed Rosario, then clicked back into All-Star form. Shaving his ERA to 2.44, Cortes was supported by back-to-back fourth-inning homers from Anthony Rizzo and Stanton, the only runs he’d need. New York added four runs in the seventh.

“I don’t think it’s anything out of the ordinary,” Cortes said. “We’ve been playing great baseball year-round. I think coming in here and getting those two games were really important for us to get back on track, and we have a chance to sweep tomorrow. Another sweep for us would be good.”

Cortes has been one of baseball’s best stories, though he has company.

Two months ago, Carpenter was still in Triple-A Round Rock with the Rangers, eyeing an upcoming opt-out date from his Minor League deal. He likes to say that he went from his living room couch to playing for baseball’s best team, for whom he has belted more homers than singles and doubles.

“Matt just adds that extra-slow heartbeat,” Cole said. “With a lot of the other veterans in the room, there’s an unspoken language of just going about your business deliberately. We tend to feed off each other in that regard, and I think that dynamic sets a very good example for the younger guys.”

Carpenter launched a two-run homer in the sixth inning facing Anthony Gose, part of a four-run frame. The 36-year-old, who traveled the country this past winter to rework his swing with a variety of tutors that included former big leaguer Matt Holliday, slugged back-to-back homers with Jose Trevino in the ninth off position player Ernie Clement.

“I think he has more home runs than singles,” Hicks marveled of Carpenter. It’s true: Eight of Carpenter’s 12 hits as a Yankee have left the yard.

As for Boone’s statement that the team is on “a mission” -- well, that refuse-to-lose mentality does not come easily. Certainly, it hasn’t around the Majors this year. Every other squad in the big leagues has lost consecutive games at least five times, while 26 of the other 29 clubs have at least seven such streaks.

“I just love the character, work ethic and camaraderie in this clubhouse,” Carpenter said. “When you’ve got so many guys all on the same page pulling for each other, it’s special. It’s very rare that you have the talent combined with the kind of quality people that we have. That’s a recipe for a lot of wins.”