The Dodgers had good reason not to beat the struggling Jack Flaherty in Game 5 against me

At first glance, it was pretty shocking to see Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts leave his starter, Jack Flaherty, in Game 5 of the NLCS while the New York Mets scored one run in the first three innings of the game others uncorked.

Flaherty gave up eight earned runs on eight hits and four walks in three innings of work. Why wouldn't Roberts reach for his bullpen when the Mets went up 3-1 to try to keep the game within reach?

Well, what lies ahead may be on his mind. L.A. Times Beat writer Jack Harris pointed out that a Game 6 on Sunday would likely be a bullpen game. Roberts wants to keep those arms fresh. Of course, Los Angeles is three games into the series and a win tonight would wrap it up, so it's fair to argue whether or not this was the right strategy for Game 5.

Importantly, the Dodgers scored 30 runs in the first four games of this series. It's also not entirely a given that Roberts believes in the explosiveness of his offense with so much game left. It is certainly a more nuanced decision than it seems at first glance.

The truth is that as much as the Dodgers would like to close out Friday's game, with a 3-1 series lead, they don't have as much reason as New York to be urgent. But when you abandon a game, there is always the risk of handing over momentum to your opponent at the wrong moment.