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Larry Andersen’s playing career spanned across portions of three different decades.    He’d appear in a pair of World Series with the Phillies, and in 1986 he’d join the Astros several weeks into that magical season, which would culminate in their classic playoff series with the Mets.    

Larry joins us for our 28th installment of the Legends Series, exclusively at The Crawfish Boxes.    

Q:  I want to start with 1986.    Can you believe it’s been 40 years?     That doesn’t seem possible.

A:  It’s remarkable.   The memories are still there and of course Game 6, I appeared in and I’ll never forget that.    The intensity was incredible.     I pitched three innings that game and the noise in the Astrodome was deafening and I’m actually deaf in one ear completely since birth and it was still the loudest thing I’ve ever heard.     I thought my nerves were going to jump out of my body.     That was a game for the ages, I just wish it had turned out differently for the fans.    

Q:  How was it that the Phillies would release you in May and you’d land in Houston a few days later?

A:  I was released while in Houston, so I knew what kind of team they had.   They were good.    

The Hendricks brothers were my agents, and they wanted me to play for the Astros, so they set it up where I went and did a side pitching session in the bullpen for Hal Lanier.    They immediately saw that there was nothing wrong with me.   I was completely healthy.     They were completely baffled with the release.

Q:  So, what happened?

A:  The Phillies had made a trade and had acquired Gary Redus and relief pitcher Tom Hume for John Denny.    So, it came down to keeping me or Tom Hume.    

I felt like my stuff at the time was just as good as his, but he was making $800,000 and I was making $300,000, so it was an easy choice.    

It was easier for the Phillies to eat $300,000 of salary.    I understood that.     It’s a business.    

I waited a few days for the waiver deadline to pass, and then I was playing for the Astros.    

Q:  There were so many great characters on the Astros back then.     Who comes to mind?

A:  Doctor Death, Danny Darwin (laughs).    He really helped solidify our pitching staff.

It’s funny, Danny had issues with the Montreal Expos.   I was facing Spike Owen, and I threw a pitch inside and it created a brawl.   In that brawl, Spike Owen came to the mound and came for me, but the rest of the Expos went after Danny Darwin.   He had broken Hubie Brooks’ hand earlier in the year, and they were after him even though I threw the pitch that started it.     

I don’t know if Danny ever forgave me for that, because he got absolutely pummeled.     

Q:  If you guys had prevailed in Game 6, is there any doubt in your mind that Mike Scott would’ve won Game 7, advancing you to the World Series?

A:  I think it’s easy to say, absolutely.    The Mets knew they were done.    They were so hellbent on saying Scott was cheating and were always checking the ball and trying to question the nature of his splitter.    It was amazing, they were a mess.

Good morning everyone!

Pittsburgh native Cole Young had a homecoming to remember last night, delivering the go-ahead homer in a 3-2 Mariners victory over the Pirates.

Importantly, Andrés Muñoz also looked electric last night. How are you feeling about our closer after his dominant showing?

In Mariners news…

• In case you missed it, Randy Arozarena returned from the injured list last night after a brief stint with a hamstring issue.
• A legal appeal has been filed to prevent the construction of housing in a plot of land near T-Mobile Park.

Around the league…

• Rangers right-hander Jack Leiter will miss significant time after undergoing ankle surgery.
• Royals ace left-hander Cole Ragans will likely require elbow surgery, which would almost certainly end his 2026 season.
• The Royals placed third baseman Maikel García on the injured list with a muscle strain in his left hand.
• Cubs starter Edward Cabrera was carted off the field last night with an apparent hamstring injury.
• A’s infielder Zack Gelof exited yesterday’s game against the Giants after being spiked by Matt Chapman’s cleats.
• The Twins shut down any speculation that they might trade outfielder Byron Buxton this summer.
• Marlins righty Sandy Alcantara became the all-time franchise leader in strikeouts with his 1,002nd last night, unseating Ricky Nolasco.
• David Appelman released the 2026 State of Fangraphs on the 21st anniversary of the website.
• Davy Andrews at Fangraphs tried to figure out why Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan suddenly stopped producing.
• Jeff Passan at ESPN handed out some mid-season awards – just not the ones you’re expecting.

Welcome back to the mailbag!

Most of the responses I got this time were centered around prospects and the state of the farm so far this year, so that will be the theme of this mailbag article.

pdawd (@JeannotShowYo on Twitter/X): Who in the farm has been the most pleasant surprise and what have they added to their game to make unexpected strides?

Nathan Flewelling has been a pleasant surprise on the defensive side. There aren’t many questions about his offensive impact, but his receiving and throwing have noticeably improved.

This year, he’s doing a better job on the receiving end by showing late glove movement when framing pitches compared to last season. It looked “stabby” last year because Flew would hold his glove in the zone too early in the pitcher’s delivery before grabbing it and bringing it back toward the zone. Now he’ll flash the glove early in the delivery, drop it down to the dirt, and then wait until the pitcher is releasing the ball before gliding his glove to catch the ball and bring to into the zone, all in one motion.

But it’s not just his glove. His improved throwing starts with his footwork. Flew’s arm has always been above average, but his exchange and release needed improvement. Last season, he almost always would catch the ball and then jump up into a throwing position. Now, Flew is consistently getting his feet into a throwing position as he’s receiving the ball. The result is a quicker release and more accurate throws to the 1B side of the 2B bag. His caught stealing rate has improved from 13.9% in 2025 to 34.6% in 2026 so far. Some of that improvement could be driven by High-A pitchers doing a better job of varying their delivery times, but the data coupled with Flew’s observable improvement in his defensive actions signal meaningful growth. Like all teenage prospects, he’ll need to continue to work on his consistency – especially as the physical demands of his position challenge him later in the season. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him as a consensus top 50 prospect by the end of the season.

Dhaffa Ghiffari (@dapuik_ on Twitter/X) and Dylan Hood (@DylanHood69 on Twitter/X): What is a reasonable expectation for Carson Williams and his future? Will the Rays ever commit to him, or will he be traded at the deadline?

Carson still looks like an every day SS thanks to his near 70-grade glove and plus power. He has done a nice job cutting down on the whiff compared to last season by using the whole field a bit more – especially with two strikes. There’s impressive impact on both sides of the ball, and now it’s just a matter of opportunity.

I don’t think he would be traded this season because he’s 3rd on the SS depth chart for the ML side. Maybe they’d trade him if they received a SS in return, for him or in some other trade, but it doesn’t seem likely.

Taylor Walls is having a good season by his standards as he’s leaning into his small-ball skillset, and he’s arguably the best defensive SS of this century. Ben Williamson has shown he’s a competent ML utility guy, but lacks the impact defensively at SS and at the plate. Carson should have an opportunity to compete for the starting job after this season (Editor’s Note: How many times have we said that? – DR), but the 2026 draft and trade deadline could change that.

Flappy Gilmore (@FlappyGilmore on Twitter/X): Do you see a spot on the roster for Tre’ Morgan coming, or is he more valuable as a trade chip at this point?

Tre’ Morgan has had an unfortunate run of injuries over the last couple seasons. He looked solid in AAA last year when he was able to stay on the field, and he has adjusted his approach this season in an attempt to unlock more impact but has missed a lot of time already. He’s back in AAA now after showing some impressive bat speed gains during his rehab assignment, so I’m interested to see what he could look like in a larger sample. The defense is 80-grade at 1B as advertised, and his average hit tool should allow him to carve out some sort of role at the ML level.

The experiment with him in the OF seems to have come to an end, so it’s most likely 1B only – which is fine because the defense really is that good. Unfortunately, I’m not sure the Rays could roster Tre’, Yandy, and Aranda in the majors at the same time. I don’t think Tre’ will be traded this season, and I expect him to get protected from the Rule 5 draft this offseason. His health and availability of reps at 1B in the majors will determine if and when he will have an opportunity to contribute.

Sad Rays Fan (@rays4403 on Twitter/X): Which prospects do you realistically think can make an impact this season?

I don’t think he counts as a prospect anymore, but Jacob Melton could really help this roster. He’s a plus defender at all three OF spots and has near 70-grade power. His adjustments to his approach have helped him unlock more damage by elevating the ball. His injury in early May unfortunately set him back, but he’s healthy now and back in AAA. I think he will be up relatively soon once he gets up to speed in Durham.

Most of the prospects who could impact the ML roster this season are relievers. Alex Cook has a combination of solid stuff and command, and he has been dominant after a couple rough outings to start the year in Durham. Alexander Alberto has plus stuff and deception, and his command year-over-year command gains have earned him a recent promotion to AAA. He’s going to be a minor league free agent if he’s not added to the 40-man roster by the end of the year. Ty Johnson looks like he could be an impactful high-leverage reliever or bulk guy capable of going one time through the order in the majors. I’m not sure how he’d look as a starter given his average stuff and command of just two pitches, but his deception should allow him to carve out a valuable relief role in some capacity.

Also in Durham is Carson Williams who has the makings of an everyday SS, but just needs an opportunity. As long as Taylor Walls is in the organization and healthy, Carson won’t find too many reps at SS. He has been learning 2B and 3B this season, and his tools should translate and allow him to be a plus defender at both positions. His opportunity will likely won’t come until next season.

I would love to say Brody Hopkins could help the team this year, but I don’t think it will happen until 2027. He struggled early on to adjust to the AAA baseball, but has been looking much better over his last handful of starts with more reps using that baseball and some small adjustments to his delivery. His shapes have been sharper with more movement like they had last year, and his strike throwing has started to improve. I’m really excited to see him in the majors next season.

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The Chicago Cubs should be well-rested for Wednesday’s doubleheader opener. Two of Chicago’s last three games have been rained out, so it'll be playing for just the second time since Saturday. 

The New York Mets could be without Juan Soto following his early exit last night, and my Cubs vs. Mets predictions are taking advantage of that.

Find out more in my MLB picks for June 24.

Who will win Cubs vs Mets today: Cubs (-126)

The Chicago Cubs have been streaky all season and are on another hot stretch, winning seven of 10 — including Tuesday’s series opener against the New York Mets. The Mets have lost three straight and five of seven.  

New York's bullpen worked more than five innings last night and has a doubleheader today, so starter Nolan McLean needs to go deep. He’s gone past five just twice in his last three starts, and McLean has a 6.75 ERA late in games with a .294 average against.  

The Cubs are favored, but at the upper limit of when I’d take them. If it gets to -130, I’d cut bait.

COVERS INTEL:Batters are hitting 80 points higher against McLean late in games with an OPS increase of 90 points. 

Cubs vs Mets Over/Under pick: Under 8.5 (-115)

The Cubs are being coy about their pitchers for the doubleheader. Shota Imanaga and Javier Assad could start, but they weren’t specifying the order.

Both pitchers are coming off back-to-back strong outings, and the Cubs' pen has pitched four innings since Saturday. Chicago has been hitting, but the last thing a hot team wants is to sit out days.

New York has scored three or fewer runs in five of the last nine games. The offensive boost the Mets hoped to get from Francisco Lindor’s return for the first time since April 22 got muted when Juan Soto left Tuesday’s game with back trouble. 

Play this down to 8.

Cubs vs Mets weather

Sunny skies and temps in the mid-80s ensure no weather delay today. The hot weather could add some more pop to balls, but the wind of 10 mph shouldn't play too much of a factor.

Cubs vs Mets odds

• Moneyline: Cubs -124 | Mets +106
• Run line: Cubs +1.5 (-290) | Mets -1.5 (+215)
• Over/Under: Over 8.5 (-124) | Under 8.5 (-158)

Cubs vs Mets trend

The Chicago Cubs have hit the game total Under in seven of their last nine away games (+4.85 Units / 50% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Cubs vs. Mets.

How to watch Cubs vs Mets and game info

Cubs vs Mets latest injuries

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

Manny Machado said it best in his postgame interview – this was a team win.

The San Diego Padres got a walk-off win thanks to a single back through the middle of the infield by Machado that allowed Jackson Merrill to score from second base to give the Padres a 7-6 win over the Atlanta Braves in 10 innings. The winning RBI-single by Machado is another example of the third baseman coming through in the clutch recently. Machado homered in the first game of the series in the bottom of the fourth inning and that led to a 1-0 win for San Diego. He also homered against the Texas Rangers in the top of the 10^th inning last Saturday to give the Padres a 6-4 win. There is no doubt, Machado has not been the offensive player the Friar Faithful have come to expect him to be so far this season, but recent performances could indicate that is about to change.

There was a lot that happened prior to Machado getting his game-winning hit in the 10^th. The Braves jumped out to an early 4-0 lead in the top of the second inning only to watch the Padres jump back in front in the bottom half of the inning, taking a 5-4 lead. Atlanta not only tied the game in the top of the fourth but took the lead in the top of the fifth on a solo home run from Mauricio Dubon. Fernando Tatis Jr. hit a solo home run to center field in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game, 6-6 and the San Diego bullpen put up zeros in the final three innings, two of which were thrown by closer Mason Miller.   

The Padres employed an opener once again for Griffin Canning, but the results against the Braves were not as good as they were the last time out against the St. Louis Cardinals when he pitched 4.1 innings and allowed one run. Canning lasted just 0.2 innings and allowed four runs on four hits with a walk and two strikeouts against Atlanta. Kyle Hart then pitched two innings and allowed a run, followed by Yuki Matsui, who pitched 2.1 innings and allowed a run. David Morgan pitched a scoreless inning and Adrian Morejon and Miller covered the final three innings to get the win.

The Padres will go for a sweep of the Braves today at 5:40 p.m.

Padres News:

• JP Sears has joined the Padres rotation and Lucas Giolito was placed on injured reserve. Sears is expected to start the final game of the series against the Braves.

• Gavin Sheets has been a pleasant surprise for the Padres and has become a fan favorite. Thomas Conroy of Gaslamp Ball looks at why he has been so important to the San Diego lineup.

• Freddy Fermin is done with his stint on the seven-day concussion IL and has rejoined San Diego.

• Robert Suarez, the former Padres closer, was recognized by the team and fans upon his return to Petco Park. Now in a setup role with Atlanta, he says he looks back fondly at the time he spent in San Diego.

Baseball News:

• The Philadelphia Phillies mounted a two-out, eight-run rally in the ninth to beat the Washington Nationals.

• Pete Crow-Armstrong hit his fifth home run in his last six games to lead the Chicago Cubs over the New York Mets.

• The Los Angeles Dodgers dominated the Minnesota Twins en route to a 12-3 win.

• The Arizona Diamondbacks and the St. Louis Cardinals went down to the wire before the Diamondbacks got the win.

• Sonny Gray recorded 11 strikeouts to lead the Boston Red Sox over the Colorado Rockies.

• The San Francisco Giants beat the Athletics, 3-1.

Jac Caglianone had a huge two-homer night playing near his hometown, writes Jaylon Thompson.

“It was pretty cool,” Caglianone said. “I had one of my best friends pretty close to home plate. So no, I hit it and I knew he was pretty fired up about it. It’s cool. You can see like on the video, he was in the background filming and stuff. So that was a pretty cool moment. Yeah, just knowing I got a bunch of family and friends here is pretty special.”

Nick Loftin also had a good game, writes Brian Murphy.

“We believe in our abilities and what we are capable of doing,” Loftin said. “We’re going to continue to do that every single day, one pitch at a time, one day at a time, and when they come back into the lineup, it’s going to be pretty scary.”

Maikel Garcia landed on the Injured List.

The Royals mulled placing Garcia on the injured list last week. At that time, they opted to give him a few rest days to see if the pain might subside.

“I mean, we kind of set the goal of giving him those three or four days off and see if he could respond to it,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “… We were hoping that if the medicine kicked in and took the pain away and the rest helped a little bit.— we were hopeful for that. But it didn’t happen that way. He’s still in pain.”

Garcia recently noted it’s tough to play at less than full strength.

David Lesky thinks John Schreiber could become a trade asset.

He struck out a batter on May 10 against Detroit, and it was the first strikeout he’d recorded in 27 batters. Since and including that game, he has a 1.62 ERA with 19 strikeouts and four walks in 16.2 innings with just 10 hits allowed. He has given up some home runs, so there are blemishes, but the 19 strikeouts are good for a rate of 31.1 percent, which puts him in elite reliever territory. He is very likely to be traded, and if this velocity and these strikeouts keep up, there’s a good chance he returns more than expected. And I will warn you right now that there’s also a good chance the Royals pursue him as a free agent this winter. So just be ready for that. But if he’s found this new gear, maybe it’ll work out.

Mike Gillespie at Royals Keep writes about the trade deadline risks the Royals cannot take.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. hits a go-ahead home run and celebrates with lollipops.

Rafael Devers apologizes to Giants manager Tony Vitiello for balking at a pinch runner.

The Phillies were down to their last strike and score eight to come back against the Nationals.

Cubs manager Craig Counsell is irked by a rainout decision.

How ABS has propelled a resurgence for left-handed hitters.

Is a Braves slump a sign of things to come?

Who could the Red Sox trade if they become sellers?

The Giants do not plan to trade pitcher Logan Webb.

Dan Szymborski looks at how MLB’s CBA proposal would cost top players.

MLB clears Dodgers doctor Neal ElAttrache after an alleged PED link to fighter Conor McGregor.

The winners and losers from Day 1 of the NBA draft.

Goals are being scored at a record pace at the World Cup, and it may be because of the ball.

Wendy’s stock soars after a new CEO hire, but is it because of meme traders?

Kansas City restaurants added World Cup gratuity charges, but some now say it hurt more than helped.

Why do only humans sleepwalk?

Your song of the day is Pantera with Walk.

Here's what happened in Mets Land on Tuesday, in case you missed it...

• Kodai Senga got tattooed, allowing seven runs in 3.2 innings to bury the Mets in an eventual 9-6 loss to the Cubs at Citi Field
• After the game, an exasperated Carlos Mendoza discussed Senga's uncertain future in the rotation
• Juan Sotois day-to-day after leaving Tuesday's game early due to back tightness
• David Stearnsdiscussed the struggling starting rotation
• Stearns also talked about the approaching trade deadline, and when New York might make a determination on how to proceed
• SNY MLB Insider Chelsea Janes wrote that there's a path, albeit a difficult one, for the Mets to validate Stearns' patience
• Francisco Lindor's impending return is a positive the Mets desperately need right now
• Christian Scott is expected to come off the IL to start this weekend against the Phillies
• Luis Robert Jr. has resumed baseball activities as he works toward a return
• On The Mets Pod, Jim Duquette joined Joe DeMayo to talk starters, selling, and more
• WATCH: What can the Mets get for Freddy Peralta if they become sellers?

Whatever else can be said about the 2026 Orioles, you’ve got to give this to them: They’re really committed to the bit. The problem for everyone who would prefer if they win games is that the bit the Orioles are committed to is the steadfast refusal to ever go on any kind of extended winning streak. The Orioles failed at their latest attempt – their sixth attempt! – to turn a three-game winning streak into something more with a 5-1 loss at the hands of the Angels on Tuesday night.

This one might have been the most ridiculous of the failures so far. The Angels, who are at a desperation point of “throw any warm body into the rotation,” sent 23-year-old righty Ryan Johnson to the mound for the game. Johnson notably brought a 12.83 ERA into the game after five outings so far this season. Yes, that is an ERA in the double digits.

Or at least, it was in the double digits, because by the time the Orioles offense had their say, or perhaps rather their lack of say, Johnson had taken a no-hitter into the sixth inning. He struck out a career-high eight batters. The Orioles drew only a single walk in addition to their lone hit in the six innings that Johnson was in the game. He brought the ERA down to a mighty 8.84. This should have gone much better, and it did not, for no apparent reason. This is a regular feature of the 2026 Orioles.

To give the Orioles a chance to win in the face of that futility, the O’s own starter, Shane Baz, would have had to be perfect. He wasn’t perfect. Three batters into the bottom of the first, the Angels already had all of the offense they would need to win the game. Their shortstop, Zach Neto, led off with a single, and with one out, first baseman Nolan Schanuel hit a “that was barely a home run” kind of home run. Those still count, too, even the ones that are only a home run in 3/30 ballparks, as long as you’re in one of the three.

If this was the only blemish on Baz’s night, you could credit it as a tough luck loss. It was not the only blemish. Although Baz rebounded and kept the Angels off the board for a few innings, he ran into trouble again in the fifth. The trouble is just that he suddenly couldn’t get anyone out. The Angels jumped on him for four hits in a row… wait a minute, four in a row? Why does that sound familiar? Anyway, four hits in a row capped off by a sacrifice fly at the end brought three more runs across for the Angels.

That’s a clunker on the season tally for Baz. Five runs allowed on eight hits and a walk. His ERA is up to 4.31. Baz has had some good games along the way, but I hoped for much better after the Orioles gave up such a haul of prospects for him and then gave him a five-year contract extension before he ever threw a pitch for the team. He had been better recently. He wasn’t good enough last night.

That is the story of the Orioles season. They just aren’t good enough. They are now at the halfway point of the 2026 season and they are on a pace to win exactly one more game than the 2025 Orioles did. All of the moves that were made, all of the noise they made about how they would be better, and that’s the pace they’re on. They’re not better. If they finish in the vicinity of 76 wins, there should be changes not only to the roster but to the front office that sets the roster.

Some of the reasons the Orioles are failing are familiar and others are new. A number of things are going right but many more are going wrong. Getting three hits in a game that was started by Ryan Johnson is just one more example of games where it’s the wrong stuff that is dominant. This is a mess. Manager Craig Albernaz actually deployed a variant of one of my all-time least favorite loser lines in his post-game presser with reporters, saying, “Sometimes you have to give credit to the opposing pitcher, and he was on tonight.” He pulled out this line about Ryan Johnson. I’m experiencing second-hand embarrassment.

The west coast road trip comes to a close with one final game on Wednesday afternoon. The Orioles and Angels are scheduled to start their series finale at 4:07 Eastern time. If the Orioles pull off a win, we can maybe talk ourselves into feeling okay about a 5-4 road trip. If they don’t, then they’ve once again squandered the opportunity to build on a small stretch of success. Trey Gibson and José Soriano are the scheduled starting pitchers. Soriano has actually been good this year. It won’t be easy for the Orioles hitters.