Mike Trout thinks the fix was in on the Lions-Cowboys game - MLB

I spent my Sunday driving back home from a short trip to North Carolina followed by a viewing of “Chinatown,” because one has to watch that movie at least once a year. I mean, this is a civilized society and that’s what one does in a civilized society.

But I gather that I was in the minority with that. Most of you, based on my Twitter feed anyway, watched the NFL playoffs. Particularly the Lions-Cowboys game which ended, based on my Twitter feed anyway, with some degree of controversy.

American League MVP Mike Trout is part of my Twitter feed. He tweeted this as the game was ending:

Refs gotta have something on this game hahaha

— Mike Trout (@Trouty20) January 5, 2015

The “haha” makes me sad, as I would have preferred serious, righteous anger, but alas none, even though he presumably possesses some natural Cowboys hate based on him growing up in NFC East country.

In other news, noted Cowboys fan Bryce Harper was silent as to the outcome of the game.

CINCINNATI — The Los Angeles Dodgers placed pitcher Noah Syndergaard on the 15-day injured list Thursday with a blister on the index finger of his right throwing hand.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said the timetable for Syndergaard’s return is unknown despite the 15-day designation.

“The physical, the mental, the emotional part, as he’s talked about, has taken a toll on him,” Roberts said. “So, the ability to get him away from this. He left today to go back to Los Angeles to kind of get back to normalcy.”

Syndergaard allowed six runs and seven hits in three innings against the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday night, raising his ERA to 7.16.

Syndergaard (1-4) has surrendered at least five runs in three straight starts.

Syndergaard has been trying to return to the player he was before Tommy John surgery sidelined him for the better part of the 2020 and 2021 seasons.

Roberts said Syndergaard will need at least “a few weeks” to both heal and get away from baseball and “reset.”

“I think searching and not being comfortable with where he was at in the moment is certainly evident in performance,” Roberts said. “So hopefully this time away will provide more clarity on who he is right now as a pitcher.

“Trying to perform when you’re searching at this level is extremely difficult. I applaud him from not running from it, but it’s still very difficult. Hopefully it can be a tale of two stories, two halves when he does come back.”