LEADING OFF: ‘Field of Dreams’ game grows in Iowa cornfield

A look at what’s happening around the majors today:

___

CAN OF CORN

The diamond is built, and now they will come — José Abreu, Aaron Judge and all, to Iowa.

More than three decades after “Field of Dreams” became a hit, one of the most famous cornfields in Hollywood history finally gets the opportunity to host real big league ball.

The New York Yankees play the Chicago White Sox in tiny Dyersville, next to the actual site used in the 1989 film. Kevin Costner, James Earl Jones, Ray Liotta and Amy Madigan starred in the movie — Giancarlo Stanton and Eloy Jiménez will be the stars on this evening.

A crowd of about 8,000 is expected, a year after the pandemic postponed the original plans to play at the specially built field.

This has been an especially hot and dry summer in that part of the Midwest, so an irrigation system was installed to keep the corn in good shape — between 10 and 12 feet high.

Lance Lynn (10-3, 2.04 ERA) is set to start for Chicago against Andrew Heaney (7-8, 5.45).

POWER VS POWER

Shohei Ohtani is set to start for the Angels against Toronto, marking the first time the two-way sensation will pitch to Blue Jays slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

They’re the top two home run hitters in the majors this season. Ohtani has 38 homers and Guerrero has 35.

“There are so many great subplots in this whole thing,” Angels manager Joe Maddon said. “I write the phrase ‘Don’t miss it’ on the lineup card every day, just trying to remind myself just not to miss all this stuff. Don’t take this for granted and don’t think it’s going to happen often. It’s not.”

Ohtani (6-1, 2.93 ERA) has excelled on the mound, striking out 106 in 86 innings with a 100 mph fastball. José Berríos (8-5, 3.23) starts for the Blue Jays — he’s 1-0 in two starts since being traded from Minnesota to Toronto, allowing just one run in 12 innings.

ONE TO GO

Tigers star Miguel Cabrera needs one more homer to reach the 500 mark heading into a late afternoon game in Baltimore.

The 38-year-old slugger hit his 499th career home run Wednesday night, connecting at Camden Yards.

Detroit has one game left before returning home.

“He’s playing,” manager A.J. Hinch said, before he was even asked. “I’ve talked to him, and we’re not going to test baseball fate. We really want him to hit it whenever he’s supposed to hit it. Maybe it’s (Thursday), maybe it’s not.”

Lefty John Means is set to start for the Orioles.

MISSED IN MILWAUKEE

The NL Central-leading Brewers have lost another pitcher, this time reliever John Curtiss to a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow less than two weeks after the team acquired him.

Milwaukee got the 28-year-old Curtiss in a July 30 trade that sent minor league catcher Payton Henry to Miami. Curtiss went 0-0 with a 12.46 ERA in six games with Milwaukee after going 3-1 with a 2.48 ERA in 35 games with Miami.

The Brewers also placed reliever Ángel Perdomo on the injured list with a lower back strain, but All-Star closer Josh Hader and others are returning to boost a bullpen that had been decimated the last couple of weeks by COVID-19.

REPEAT PERFORMANCE

Yu Darvish (7-6, 3.43 ERA) starts for the Padres in the opener of a four-game series at Arizona, which will counter with Taylor Widener (1-1, 4.89).

It’s a rematch of a 6-2 Padres win on Saturday night in San Diego in which neither starter got a decision. Darvish struck out 12 and allowed just two runs and four hits in seven innings.

___

More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

The Associated Press