As Adam Warren saw the hard grounder coming back up the middle, he knew he was in trouble. His balance was betraying him, and he began to topple backward.
So Warren did all he could do: He reached his glove out behind his back.
Much to his surprise, the ball stuck, leaving Warren with an easy throw to first base to extricate himself from trouble.
It was not a consequential play, but it was one that was emblematic for the Yankees, who had lost their footing in recent days, but regained it Thursday to clinch a playoff berth with a 4-1 victory over the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium.