Pinch-hitter Nolan Arenado hit a game-ending RBI single in the bottom of the ninth inning to lift the St. Louis Cardinals to a 2-1 victory over the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday.

With runners on first and third and nobody out in the ninth, the Dodgers deployed a five-man infield, leaving just two outfielders. But Arenado lifted a long fly ball into the left field corner against right-hander Ben Casparius.

Cardinals starter Erick Fedde blanked the Dodgers for 5 1/3 innings while allowing four hits and four walks and striking out two.

St. Louis relievers Steven Matz and Kyle Leahy extended the shutout through the eighth inning. Ryan Helsley (3-0) allowed a run in the ninth inning on a wild pitch for a blown save but earned the win on Arenado’s hit.

Dodgers starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto went six scoreless innings, allowing four hits and two walks while striking out nine. Casparius (4-1) took over in the eighth and gave up five hits in one-plus inning.

Los Angeles went 0-for-12 with runners in scoring position, leaving them 1-for-25 with RISP in their two losses in St. Louis. The lone hit Friday did not bring home a run.

The Dodgers had multiple scoring chances. In the fifth inning, Hyeseong Kim had a leadoff single and stole second base, but Fedde retired Shohei Othani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman on a line out and two groundouts.

In the seventh. Kim and Betts singled before Freeman hit into a double play to end that threat.

The Cardinals took a 1-0 lead in the eighth. Masyn Winn and Brendan Donovan hit one-out singles, then Winn scored after Alec Burleson beat out an infield single.

The Dodgers tied the game in the ninth. Ohtani singled, moved to third on Betts’ single and scored on a wild pitch as Freeman struck out.

Gorman hit a leadoff double in the bottom of the ninth. Pages bunted pinch-runner Jose Barrero to third and reached on an error. That led to Arenado’s heroics.

–Field Level Media