Aug. 12 (UPI) -- Tim Anderson blasted a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning to lead the Chicago White Sox to a 9-8 comeback win over the New York Yankees in MLB's inaugural "Field of Dreams" Game on Thursday night in Dyersville, Iowa.
Anderson, who also had an RBI double earlier in the game, danced around the bases after the home run and was rewarded with a celebratory water and Gatorade shower at home plate from his teammates.
Anderson's long ball into the cornfield surrounding the outfield fence triggered a fireworks show for the 7,832 fans in attendance at the makeshift ballpark next to the filming site of the 1989 movie, Field of Dreams. His homer also gave the White Sox an improbable victory after a late rally from the Yankees moments earlier.
Trailing 7-4 in the top of the ninth, the Yankees bashed two home runs off White Sox star closer Liam Hendriks to take the lead. Aaron Judge's two-run shot made the score 7-6, and Giancarlo Stanton's two-run homer pushed New York in front 8-7.
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Facing Yankees closer Zack Britton, White Sox catcher Seby Zavala drew a walk after Danny Mendick grounded out to begin the bottom-half of the inning. Anderson then provided the Hollywood ending with a deep shot to the green stalks in right field on the first pitch of his at-bat.
"It was definitely a pretty cool moment all around," Anderson said. "Being able to walk it off was definitely one of my best moments of my career."
White Sox slugger Jose Abreu belted the first MLB home run in Iowa during the first inning to put his team ahead 1-0. Judge answered with his first homer of the night -- this one a three-run shot to right field -- to give the Yankees a 3-1 lead in the third.
Anderson's RBI double, followed by Eloy Jimenez's three-run home run, pushed the White Sox back in front 5-3 in the bottom of the third. In the fourth, Zavala smacked a two-run bomb to extend Chicago's lead to 7-3.
The Yankees started to chip away at that deficit, starting with Brett Gardner's solo home run to right field in the top of the sixth. Judge and Stanton then bashed home runs in a four-run ninth inning to put New York in the driver's seat before Anderson's stunning walk-off homer.
Thursday's "Field of Dreams" Game featured many tributes to the beloved baseball movie. The Academy Award-nominated flick features actor Kevin Costner portraying Ray Kinsella, who interacts with multiple players from the 1919 White Sox.
Members of that team were banned from baseball for intentionally losing in the World Series.
In honor of the movie and its strong ties to the sport, MLB decided to stage a game adjacent to the filming site in Dyersville. The league spent more than $5 million to construct and maintain the ballpark.
Costner, with a baseball in hand, began the evening by slowly walking out of the cornfield like "Shoeless" Joe Jackson and his ghost-like teammates did in the movie. He then turned to the outfield and watched players from the White Sox and Yankees do the same for their pregame introductions.
"Thirty years ago, on the other side of that corn, we filmed a movie that stood the test of time," Costner said in an address to fans. "Tonight, thanks to that enduring impact that little movie had, it's allowed us to come here again. But now, we're on a field that Major League Baseball made.
"We've come to see the first-place White Sox play the mighty Yankees in a field that was once corn. It's perfect. We've kept our promise, Major League Baseball has kept its promise. The dream is still alive."
Costner concluded his speech by asking a famous question from the movie, "Is this Heaven?"
"Yes, it is. This field is for the players," he said.
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred promised the game in Iowa will be back for the 2022 season. The teams will be determined at a later date.
