Yusmeiro Petit vs. Clayton Kershaw: Why it’s safe to take the under today.

SAN FRANCISCO >> After the Giants scored all nine runs Friday, and the Dodgers scored all 17 runs Saturday, the two teams will be hard-pressed to put up a crooked number in Sunday’s series finale.

Clayton Kershaw is starting for the Dodgers. He’s had the efficiency of a robot all season. Here are a few numbers that make it hard to believe he will allow a run today:

• His ERA (1.40) and opponents’ batting average (.180) against the Giants rank as the all-time best — for any pitcher, against any team in at least 140 innings and 460 head-to-head at-bats.

• Overall, Kershaw leads MLB with a 1.67 ERA, a .857 winning percentage, a .181 opponents’ batting average and a 0.82 WHIP.

• Since 1920, no pitcher who’s thrown 1,000 innings has a lower career ERA (2.48).

Yusmeiro Petit, a 29-year-old right-hander, is starting for the Giants. In his last start, he threw an 84-pitch complete game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, allowing four hits and one run at AT&T Park.

In 21 games this season at AT&T Park, Petit is 4-2 with a 2.38 ERA. His 62:8 strikeout-to-walk ratio at home is Kershaw-like (210:27).

“In this scenario I characterize it like a playoff series, which each game you play really creates its own momentum,” Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. “If you win you feel good but you know it doesn’t do any good the next day. The guy who controls the momentum really is the starting pitcher. That’s who basically sets the tone, is the guy who’s pitching that day, and that’s who the momentum starts and ends with.”

The manager certainly filled out his lineup card like a Game 1 in October:

Dee Gordon 2B
Yasiel Puig CF
Adrian Gonzalez 1B
Matt Kemp RF
Hanley Ramirez SS
Carl Crawford LF
Juan Uribe 3B
A.J. Ellis C
Clayton Kershaw P

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About J.P. Hoornstra

J.P. Hoornstra covers the Dodgers, Angels and Major League Baseball for the Orange County Register, Los Angeles Daily News, Long Beach Press-Telegram, Torrance Daily Breeze, San Gabriel Valley Tribune, Pasadena Star-News, San Bernardino Sun, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, Whittier Daily News and Redlands Daily Facts. Before taking the beat in 2012, J.P. covered the NHL for four years. UCLA gave him a degree once upon a time; when he graduated on schedule, he missed getting Arnold Schwarzenegger's autograph on his diploma by five months.