Schwarber Turns Iowa Into His Personal Cornfield: Two Bombs Power Phillies Past Twins

DYERSVILLE, Iowa — Forget the ghost players. Kyle Schwarber was the real star of the show, treating Iowa's iconic cornfield like his personal launching pad.

The Phillies slugger crushed two home runs into the corn beyond right field Thursday night, padding his MLB-leading total to a jaw-dropping 37 bombs as Philadelphia rolled past the Minnesota Twins 7-1 in the first game at the Field of Dreams movie site in four years.

Schwarber wasted no time, taking Twins right-hander Taj Bradley's third pitch of the game on a one-way trip into the stalks. Then, just for an encore, he launched a two-run missile in the fourth that right fielder Luke Keaschall nearly robbed — but the ball glanced off his glove and into the field of dreams. Sometimes the corn just wins.

Nola Finally Gets His Win

While Schwarber grabbed the spotlight, Aaron Nola quietly snapped a miserable streak. The right-hander earned his first win since May 26 — a span of 15 starts — by matching a season-high with nine strikeouts over five solid innings. He got all the support he needed from a Phillies offense that refused to let up.

Brandon Marsh added a two-run homer in the seventh, Luis Arraez collected three hits, and Bryson Stott drove in a run as Philadelphia (65-58) leapfrogged Arizona for the third NL wild-card spot by half a game.

Twins Left Searching

It wasn't all bad for the Twins. Keaschall homered in the second inning and reached base three times, while Trevor Larnach and Ryan Jeffers each had two hits. But Minnesota went 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position and wasted yet another start from Bradley, who hasn't won since before the All-Star break and matched his shortest outing of the season with four innings.

The Twins (60-63) remain below the AL wild-card cut and sit third in the AL Central — 3.5 games behind the first-place Chicago White Sox. This is no time for moral victories.

On a night when the corn was the backdrop, Schwarber made sure the story was all about him. The Phillies are rolling, and their slugger is on an absolute tear. Next stop? October.