Steven Stamkos had a goal and an assist for the Nashville Predators in a 2-1 win against the visiting Minnesota Wild on Saturday afternoon.

Matthew Wood also scored and Justus Annunen made 21 saves for Nashville (38-32-10, 86 points), which stayed within a point of the Los Angeles Kings for the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference.

The Predators have two games left and the Kings have three.

Michael McCarron scored and Jesper Wallstedt made 20 saves for Minnesota (45-23-12, 102 points), which will open the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Dallas Stars.

The Predators took a 1-0 lead at 15:01 of the first.

Stamkos pulled the puck out of a corner in the Minnesota zone, then passed it from below the goal line to Luke Evangelista. He passed it back to Stamkos, who scored on a wraparound for his 40th goal of the season.

It’s the eighth time Stamkos has reached the 40-goal mark in his 18 NHL seasons.

Nashville stretched the lead to 2-0 at 6:34 of the second.

Wallstedt saved a shot from the right face-off circle by Nick Perbix and the rebound fell at the feet of Stamkos, who made a short backhand feed to Wood that set him up for a score from the inside edge of the right circle.

McCarron scored on a rebound off Jonas Brodin’s shot to cut it to 2-1 at 6:54 of the third period.

With the Wild nearly locked into their playoff spot, they rested forwards Joel Eriksson Ek and Mats Zuccarello and defenseman Jared Spurgeon.

Nashville captain Roman Josi returned to the Preds’ blue line after he was a late scratch in Thursday’s 4-1 loss to the Utah Mammoth because of an upper-body injury.

Annunen was coming off a 5-0 win against the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday, the first shutout of the season for Nashville.

–Field Level Media

J.P. Crawford’s walk-off single with one out and the bases loaded in the ninth inning capped the Seattle Mariners’ rally from a five-run deficit in an 8-7 victory against the visiting Houston Astros on Saturday night.

Julio Rodriguez doubled and homered, his first two extra-base hits of the season, and Cal Raleigh also went deep for the Mariners and drove in three runs.

Astros reliever Bryan Abreu (0-2) struck out Luke Raley leading off the ninth, then walked the bases loaded. Crawford, who went 2-for-3 with three RBIs, lined a 0-2 fastball to left field to plate the decisive run.

Mariners closer Andres Munoz (2-1) pitched a scoreless inning for the victory.

The Mariners jumped out to an early lead. Crawford, batting leadoff for a second straight night with Brendan Donovan out with an illness, drew a walk and Raleigh lined the next pitch into the right-field seats. Rodriguez followed by grounding a double down the third-base line.

With one out, Randy Arozarena hit a 102-mph liner back up the middle. Pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. raised his glove in a defensive motion and caught the ball, starting an inning-ending double play.

The Astros took the lead in the second, loading the bases on singles by Jose Altuve and Cam Smith sandwiched around a walk to Joey Loperfido.

Luis Castillo caught Yainer Diaz looking at a called third strike, courtesy of an ABS challenge, for the second out. Former Mariner Taylor Trammell came through with a bases-clearing double off the wall in left-center field in his first at-bat of the season to make it 3-2.

The Astros scored three more runs in the third. Yordan Alvarez led off with a homer to right-center. With two outs, Carlos Correa lined a single to center and Loperfido doubled down the right-field line before Smith capped a 13-pitch at-bat by lining a two-run single to center.

Houston tallied again in the fourth. Trammell and Jeremy Pena led off with singles and, an out later, Isaac Paredes grounded a run-scoring single to left, ending Castillo’s night.

Castillo lasted just 3 1/3 innings, giving up seven runs on 10 hits. The right-hander walked one and fanned three.

McCullers retired 12 consecutive batters starting with his first-inning escape before running into trouble in the fifth.

With one out, Cole Young singled, Dominic Canzone doubled and Leo Rivas walked, loading the bases. Crawford lined a two-run single to center, chasing McCullers.

Reliever Steven Okert got Raleigh to hit a broken-bat liner to left, deep enough for a sacrifice fly. Rodriguez then hammered a 1-2 fastball 426 feet over the wall in straightaway center field, tying the score at 7.

McCullers was charged with six runs on five hits in 4 1/3 innings. The righty walked two and struck out four.

Pena, the Astros’ shortstop, left in the middle of the fourth inning with what the team called right posterior knee tightness. He was replaced by Nick Allen.

–Field Level Media

Gunnar Henderson continued his homer barrage and Jeremiah Jackson also slugged a home run as the Baltimore Orioles beat the visiting San Francisco Giants 6-2 on Saturday night to even their series.

Henderson has six home runs, including four in the last five games, to share the MLB lead with St. Louis outfielder Jordan Walker.

Colton Cowser had two hits and Coby Mayo drove in two runs. Grant Wolfram (1-0) was the winning pitcher with one inning of scoreless relief. He was the first of five relievers to follow starter Chris Bassitt.

Heliot Ramos, who knocked in two runs, and Jung Hoo Lee each had two hits for the Giants, whose three-game winning streak came to an end. They allowed just three runs during their streak. San Francisco ace Logan Webb (1-2) worked six innings and was charged with four runs on five hits and three walks with six strikeouts.

Mariners 8, Astros 7

J.P. Crawford’s walk-off single with one out and the bases loaded in the ninth inning capped Seattle’s’ rally from a five-run deficit to edge visiting Houston.

Julio Rodriguez doubled and homered, his first two extra-base hits of the season, and Cal Raleigh also went deep for the Mariners and drove in three runs. Seattle closer Andres Munoz (2-1) pitched a scoreless inning for the victory.

Astros reliever Bryan Abreu (0-2) struck out Luke Raley leading off the ninth, then walked the bases loaded. Crawford, who went 2-for-3 with three RBIs, lined a 0-2 fastball to left field to plate the decisive run.

Phillies 4, Diamondbacks 3

Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper’s back-to-back home runs proved to be enough for host Philadelphia to snap a three-game losing streak with a defeat of Arizona.

Their third-inning homers helped get Taijuan Walker (1-2) his first win of the season. He settled in after a rough first frame, allowing two runs on four hits over five innings. Jhoan Duran recorded his fifth save.

Adrian Del Castillo had three hits and Ketel Marte homered to lead off the game for the Diamondbacks. Arizona starter Brandon Pfaadt (0-1) gave up four runs (three earned) and five hits over six innings.

Nationals 3, Brewers 1

James Wood doubled in two runs and Foster Griffin and three relievers combined on a two-hitter as visiting Washington defeated Milwaukee, handing the Brewers their fourth consecutive loss.

Milwaukee managed just one hit until William Contreras opened the ninth with his second homer, but the hosts stranded the bases loaded.

The Nationals snapped a scoreless tie with two runs in the fifth off starter Kyle Harrison (1-1). Jacob Young singled leading off and took third on Nasim Nunez’s double. One out later, Wood drove in both runners with a line-drive double to left. Washington added a run in the ninth when Nunez walked with two outs and Keibert Ruiz followed with an RBI double into the right field corner. Griffin allowed just one hit in 5 1/3 innings.

Tigers 6, Marlins 1

Riley Greene homered, singled and drove in four runs as Detroit defeated visiting Miami for the second straight game.

Greene had an RBI single in the first inning and has reached base safely in all 15 games this season. Colt Keith added an RBI double for the Tigers, who have won two straight games after losing five in a row. Spencer Torkelson walked twice and had an RBI single in the eighth inning to extend Detroit’s lead to 6-1. Starter Casey Mize allowed one run on six hits.

Otto Lopez had two doubles to lead the Marlins, who fell to 1-4 on the road this season. Connor Norby doubled, and his sacrifice fly in the fourth that scored Liam Hicks accounted for Miami’s only run.

Pirates 4, Cubs 3 (11 innings)

Pitcher Caleb Thielbar’s throwing error with two outs in the 11th allowed Nick Gonzales to score the eventual winning run as Pittsburgh prevailed in Chicago.

Leadoff batter Oneil Cruz went 4-for-5 with three stolen bases and Nick Yorke added three hits for the Pirates, who won for the eighth time in 10 games and clinched their first series win over the Cubs since September 2024. Pittsburgh starter Braxton Ashcraft allowed just four hits and one run over five innings while fanning nine. Yohan Ramirez (2-0) did not allow a hit while working the 10th and 11th.

Alex Bregman and Moises Ballesteros poked two hits apiece for Chicago, which went 1-for-15 with runners in scoring position and left 16 on base. Starter Edward Cabrera gave up three runs and eight hits over five innings. Thielbar (1-2) struck out two and issued an intentional walk before throwing away Brandon Lowe’s tapper in front of the mound.

Rays 5, Yankees 4 (10 innings)

Jonathan Aranda chopped an infield single against a five-man infield with one out in the 10th inning and Tampa Bay outlasted New York for a win in St. Petersburg, Fla.

The Rays scored twice off David Bednar (0-2) in the 10th without hitting a ball out of the infield. Chandler Simpson scored both the tying run in the eighth and the winning run, helping Tampa Bay rally from a trio of one-run deficits. Cole Sulser (1-0) got the win despite allowing the automatic runner to start in the top of the 10th.

Jose Caballero had two hits and three RBIs for the Yankees, who were 2-for-12 with runners in scoring position and stranded 12 to lose their fourth straight game. Max Fried tossed eight innings, allowing three runs on six hits.

Twins 7, Blue Jays 4

Trevor Larnach hit a three-run homer, Joe Ryan pitched seven effective innings and visiting Minnesota defeated Toronto.

Ryan (2-1) allowed two runs, two hits and one walk while striking out five. Brooks Lee added a solo home run and a single to help the Twins split the opening two games of the three-game series.

Daulton Varsho and Jesus Sanchez each hit two-run homers for the Blue Jays. George Springer suffered a left big toe fracture after fouling a ball off his foot in the third. Eric Lauer (1-2) gave up seven runs, five hits and five walks with three strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings.

Royals 2, White Sox 0

Michael Wacha struck out seven over eight stellar innings and Maikel Garcia clubbed a leadoff home run, leading Kansas City to its second straight shutout victory by the same score against visiting Chicago.

Wacha (2-0), who turns 35 in July, allowed just four hits and a walk. He’s allowed one run and 10 hits over 21 innings (0.43 ERA) in his first three starts. Lucas Erceg recorded his fifth save.

The White Sox got doubles from Andrew Benintendi and Lenyn Sosa but no baserunner past second base. Starter Erick Fedde (0-3) settled in after giving up a homer on his first pitch, allowing one run on three hits over five innings.

Athletics 11, Mets 6

Tyler Soderstrom and Carlos Cortes each homered during a five-run third inning for the surging Athletics, who held off a rally by host New York.

Soderstrom, who hit a two-run homer in the third, added a three-run round-tripper in the eighth for the Athletics, who have won four in a row and five of six following a 2-6 start. Cortes delivered a three-run shot in third against Kodai Senga (0-2). Shea Langeliers had a run-scoring single immediately before Soderstrom’s eighth-inning homer.

Bo Bichette hit a two-run homer while Francisco Alvarez and Jorge Polanco had solo shots for the Mets, who have dropped four in a row after a four-game winning streak. Bichette reached base four times via two hits and two walks and collected three RBIs. Senga allowed a career-high seven runs on eight hits and two walks over 2 1/3 innings.

Guardians 6, Braves 0

Parker Messick continued the impressive start to his career by tossing 6 2/3 strong innings, earning the win as Cleveland beat host Atlanta in the middle contest of a three-game interleague series.

Jose Ramirez homered in the first for the Guardians, who have won three of four. Five players had a hit apiece for the Braves, who had won three in a row. Messick (2-0) gave up four hits and walked two while striking out five. The 25-year-old rookie lowered his ERA this season to 0.51 and dropped his career ERA to 2.04 in 10 starts dating back to last year.

Atlanta starter Martin Perez (0-1) took the hard-luck loss after allowing one run on two hits and three walks while striking out two over five innings. The 35-year-old left-hander, who is pitching for his seventh big league team, lowered his ERA to 3.14 in three games (two starts).

Reds 7, Angels 3

Spencer Steer belted a home run and Nathaniel Lowe hit a three-run double as host Cincinnati beat Los Angeles, knotting up the three-game series heading into Sunday’s decider.

Winning pitcher Pierce Johnson (1-1) provided a pivotal 1 1/3 innings of relief for the Reds, striking out Yoan Moncada to strand the tying runs on base in the fifth and working around a one-out Zach Neto double to keep the Angels off the board the next inning.

Cincinnati attacked Angels starter George Klassen (0-1) early on, scoring four off the rookie right-hander in the first. Klassen was pulled after a leadoff walk to Tyler Stephenson in the bottom of the third and was diagnosed with a fingernail contusion, per the team. He allowed five hits, five runs and five walks with two strikeouts in two-plus innings in his second major league start.

Red Sox 7, Cardinals 1

Ranger Suarez scattered three hits over six scoreless innings and Willson Contreras went 2-for-4 with a double and three RBIs to lead Boston over host St. Louis.

Suarez (1-1) walked two, struck out six and retired 14 of the last 15 batters he faced. Jarren Duran went 2-for-5 with an RBI and a run, Marcelo Mayer reached base three times with a single and two walks and Carlos Narvaez had two hits and scored a run for the Red Sox, who won for the third time in four games.

Jordan Walker hit his sixth homer — tying for the major league lead – for the Cardinals, who had a three-game win streak snapped. Kyle Leahy (1-2) suffered the loss, allowing two runs on three hits and three walks over four innings while striking out two.

Padres 9, Rockies 5

Manny Machado and Ramon Laureano homered as San Diego overcame an early 4-0 deficit to stop visiting Colorado.

The Padres’ German Marquez (2-1) won in his first start against the team for which he pitched the last 10 years, permitting four runs on four hits in five innings. Laureano had two hits and two walks, knocking in three runs and scoring three. Jason Adam came out of the bullpen with the tying run at the plate to record a one-out save, his first of the season.

Wasted in the loss was a big game by Rockies outfielder Mickey Moniak, who went 3-for-4 with two homers and four RBIs. Ryan Feltner (1-1) allowed seven hits and six runs in four innings

Dodgers 6, Rangers 3

A four-run first inning for host Los Angeles, with a leadoff home run from Shohei Ohtani and a three-run shot from Teoscar Hernandez, keyed a victory over Texas.

Hernandez, Ohtani and Will Smith had two hits each for the Dodgers, who won their seventh game in the past eight. Emmet Sheehan (2-0) allowed three runs on four hits with six strikeouts and one walk over six innings.

The Rangers led briefly on Brandon Nimmo’s home run two pitches into the game, and he added a two-run homer in the sixth off Sheehan. Nimmo had three of the team’s four hits. Texas starter Jack Leiter (1-1), who looked sharp in his first two outings, got through 3 2/3 innings with five runs on five hits in his first career appearance against Los Angeles. He walked four and struck out four, after walking just two in his first two starts.

–Field Level Media