NEW YORK -- Matt Williams connected square on his Louisville Slugger trademark, the kind of line drive hit so hard the ball hooks away from the left fielder, toward the foul line and toward trouble if you're Shane Spencer trying to make a miraculous catch.

Spencer's thick legs moved him forward in five quick strides, churning up the Yankee Stadium turf as the ball began to sink rapidly. He dove, reached out with his gloved hand and snared the white sphere a mere eight inches before it hit the ground. Eight inches before Arizona's Reggie Sanders would trot home with the go-ahead run in the top of the sixth inning. Eight inches, perhaps, from giving Arizona the lead and momentum that could turn into a third straight victory and an insurmountable 3-0 tally in this World Series.

	Shane Spencer lays out to snare a line drive off the bat of Matt Williams to end the top of the sixth inning.

After all, in the history of postseason baseball, 25 times a team had fallen behind three games to none in a best-of-seven series. None had ever recovered to win the series. Most had immediately gone down in Game 4.

That's all that Shane Spencer's diving catch meant to the New York Yankees, and he wasn't even sure he had it. As he rolled on his front side, he looked into the leather just to make sure the ball was there.

It was. As tight as the security around President Bush as he entered the ballpark to throw out the first pitch and watch the first few innings of the game.

"A lot of times when you dive like that, you hit the ground and the ball pops out," Spencer said. "I wanted to make sure it didn't."

On the mound, Roger Clemens raised his right fist and smiled the tiniest of grins. He waited for Spencer at the first-base line to congratulate.

"The most exciting part was coming in and seeing the Hoss there waiting," Spencer said. "I wanted to make sure I slapped him hard so I wouldn't break my hand."

The Rocket had gotten out of the two-out, first-and-third jam. The score remained 1-1 and the game was now in the late innings -- the time in October when the Yankees never lose.

		Alfonso Soriano also made a great diving stop, but Shane Spencer's charging catch was the defensive play of the game. It was a really difficult catch that the Yankees' regular left fielder, Chuck Knoblauch, likely would not have made. Only a guy who has played a lot more outfield than Knoblauch could make that catch, and Spencer has much more experience in the outfield than Knoblauch. Spencer got a great jump, kept his eye on the ball and made the play. Joe Torre picked the right night to put Spencer in left.

Williams had taken a splitter in the dirt for ball one and then swung through a high fastball. Clemens tried to sneak another fastball past him.

"I tried to elevate the pitch in, but I got it over the middle," Clemens said. "It looked like Matt was cheating for the fastball and he hit it hard enough that it hung in the air. Spence was aggressive. It was nice to see."

Williams rounded first base as Spencer held up his glove in triumph and removed his batting helmet. The frustration on his face was plainly clear as he uttered words not suitable for the Fox Family Channel.

The crowd -- loud, like always in a big game at Yankee Stadium -- got louder. A run would score in the bottom of the sixth, Mariano Rivera would finish it off with six straight outs and suddenly the dynasty was back in action. If the Yankees come back and win this World Series, Shane Spencer's catch can go alongside Willie Mays' grab in '54, Brooks Robinson's diving stops in '70 and Kirby Puckett's leap at the Metrodome plexiglass in '91 as a Series-turning fielding play.

Of course, that Spencer was in the lineup was even a mild surprise. Chuck Knoblauch, the second baseman turned left-field adventurer, had started every game in left field for the Yankees this postseason. But he was the designated hitter this night, with David Justice on the bench and Paul O'Neill playing right field.

Spencer hits left-handers well (.313 average, .563 slugging during the regular season) and that was one reason Joe Torre inserted him in the starting lineup against southpaw Brian Anderson. "I thought that it's tough to find someone who had good at-bats against Randy Johnson the other night," Torre said before the game. "It looked like he was free and easy, and I just decided to play him tonight."

Torre didn't mention that Spencer is a far superior outfielder to Knoblauch, who moved to left field in spring training after continued throwing problems at second base.

Would Knoblauch have caught the ball? We can only guess. He had two similar plays against Seattle in the ALCS, and muffed one while catching the other. He's had more trouble going back on balls than charging in this season. He also may play a step or two shallower than Spencer because of his weaker throwing arm.

But Spencer got a great jump on the ball. With the ball tailing away, a more experienced outfielder will get a better read, as Spencer did.

And now the World Series scoreboard reads: Arizona 2, New York 1, with the Diamondbacks now on the defense.

David Schoenfield is the baseball editor at ESPN.com.