LOS ANGELES -- In his first meeting against the St. Louis Cardinals since a crushing defeat in last year's playoffs, Clayton Kershaw delivered in dominating fashion Saturday night.

The Dodgers left-hander allowed one hit and struck out 11 in eight shutout innings, and Los Angeles defeated the Cardinals 2-0 at Dodger Stadium.

Right fielder Yasiel Puig, who missed 38 games with a strained left hamstring before being activated Saturday, broke up a scoreless contest by driving in a seventh-inning run as the Dodgers snapped a three-game skid and ended the Cardinals' four-game winning streak.

Kershaw (5-3) turned in one of his best performances of the season.

"This was maybe the best slider-curveball combination I've had in a while," said Kershaw, who has compiled a 0.82 ERA in winning three consecutive starts. "I still walked two guys, so that can't happen, obviously. One game sometimes the curveball's better than the other, one day the slider's better than the other. Today, I felt like I could use both."

Kershaw added that his approach was the same as always.

"I just think you keep pitching and hope the results are better," he said. "Sometimes they are, sometimes they aren't."

Los Angeles (32-24) beat St. Louis (37-19) for only the second time in six meetings this season.

Kershaw had not faced the Cardinals since Game 4 of last season's National League Division Series in St. Louis, where he and the Dodgers took a devastating 3-2 defeat. The loss eliminated the Dodgers from the playoffs, the second year in a row the Cardinals bounced them from postseason play.

However, Kershaw, who said he took no special joy in grounding the Cardinals on Saturday, dictated against the club with the best record in baseball.

"The breaking ball was good, he was ahead in the count, and for the most he just kept pressure on them," Los Angeles manager Don Mattingly said. "That puts you in a bind as a hitter when you have to cover both sides of the plate. When he gets it rolling, he's tough."

Kershaw permitted only a second-inning single by right fielder Randal Grichuk during his 106-pitch outing, which included 75 strikes. He retired the final 11 batters he faced. Kershaw has a 4-2 mark against the Cardinals at Dodger Stadium.

"He was sharp," St. Louis manager Mike Matheny said. "Had all four pitches working and didn't give us much traction at all."

Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his sixth save. Jansen, who pitched for the first time since a bout with high blood pressure kept him out of a game in Colorado earlier this week, said closing the door on St. Louis was significant.

"Every game you play you want to win, but especially against a good team like the Cardinals," Jansen said. "That's emotional for you. You just go out there and compete and try to beat them."

St. Louis starter Jaime Garcia matched Kershaw with zeros until the seventh. Left fielder Chris Heisey led off the inning with a double that got past third baseman Pete Kozma and down the left field line. Puig, who struck out in his first two-at bats, followed with a double in the gap in right-center for a 1-0 lead.

Puig scored on Justin Turner's RBI single up the middle for a 2-0 advantage.

Garcia (1-3) allowed two runs on six hits, fanned six and walked none in seven innings.

"Equally as good until the seventh," Matheny said. "Up until that point, very efficient. I thought Jaime was pretty good."

Los Angeles out-hit St. Louis 7-1.

NOTES: Cardinals 3B Matt Carpenter left the game in the fourth inning with a right triceps contusion. Carpenter was hit by a pitch in the first inning, but he stayed in the game until the bottom of the fourth. He is listed as day-to-day. ... Despite St. Louis' recent success against the Dodgers, Don Mattingly said before Saturday's game that h