PHOENIX -- First pitch at Chase Field in downtown Phoenix was scheduled for 5:10 p.m. on Saturday night. The game did not commence until 5:41. There was no weather; there were no adverse circumstances.

The Arizona Diamondbacks, ahead of a near-must-win against the New York Yankees, held a celebration, honoring the 25th anniversary of their 2001 club, which famously won a World Series in walk-off fashion over those same Yankees.

And after the crowd of nearly 48,000 spent hours reminiscing on one walk-off knock — Luis Gonzalez's game seven bloop winner off Mariano Rivera — they were rewarded with a moment of parallel, albeit lower-stakes drama.

Pavin Smith hits dramatic walk-off home run vs Yankees

The Diamondbacks played the Yankees close all night. The game was knotted at 0-0 through four innings, before both clubs traded three runs apiece between their respective fifth and sixth frames.

For the final two-and-a-half innings, the game remained tied at 3-3. And then, after infielder Ildemaro Vargas worked an eight-pitch walk to lead off the bottom of the ninth, Arizona turned to first baseman Pavin Smith, pinch-hitting after beginning the game on the bench.

Smith swung over a first-pitch cutter below the zone from Yankees right-hander Michael Fulmer. He then got the same pitch — more elevated and more centered. The ball traveled 100 MPH off Smith's bat, 391 feet deep to right field. The Diamondbacks walked it off, 5-3, to thunderous cheers.

"Felt really good," Smith said postgame. "There were lots of times this year where I didn't feel like I could ever hit again. I think that happens to a lot of people, but I just didn't have any timing, coming back from the surgery and then being able to go down to Reno was good for me.

"Just being able to trust that that was going to be a good thing, didn't complain about it, and was able to work through it and find myself again."

It certainly has not been an easy year for Smith. He played just two games before going down with an elbow injury that held him out for two months. After he hit an abysmal .141 through July 8, Arizona designated him for assignment.

But Smith remained in the organization, crushed Triple-A pitching and returned to the majors on September 12. He's hit .333 with a double, two home runs and four RBI since then, including Saturday's walk off.

"This has been a very trying year for Pavin," manager Torey Lovullo said. ... he got his butt back here, and you can see what he's doing. He's impacting the baseball totally different in a totally different way, so I'm just really happy for him because I know it hasn't been easy.

"I was like a proud dad when I hugged him and said, 'Congratulations. Let's enjoy this as a team. You did this, and we won this game because of you.' ... and Pavin is just like, 'whatever, dude. Okay, let's get to the interview and get home and get on to the next day so we can go do something special.'"

"That's his mindset. He just is so based on what can he do for the team to help us win the baseball game and then wants to move off of it so he can do it again."

Lovullo said the energy of the crowd and the 2001 team's presence added something to Saturday night's atmosphere.

"That entire 2001 team is here. There was a ton of energy in the stadium, so maybe there was a little bit of magic somewhere in these rafters that everybody picked up on," the manager said.

Smith agreed.

"It's a full stadium. It's pretty cool. It was playoff-like atmosphere. Every pitch felt like it mattered more, and to get to pull it out there in the end feels good," he said.

The Diamondbacks still need close to a miracle to earn a postseason berth. They entered Saturday four games back of the third and final Wild Card, and cannot afford to lose series moving forward.

But for one night, the magic of the 2001 championship flowed through the air, and Arizona remains alive, for the time being.

"It's the type of win that you're looking for in certain moments of the season that will help push you into the next day," Lovullo said. "I'm looking for a bigger push than that. We know what we have to do."