2D-Grafik » e-time NL MVP with five RBIs in his first 41 at

GREEN BAY, Wis. - A bye week gave Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers some much-needed time to rest a sore hamstring.The injury news isnt as promising for two beefy guys who protect Rodgers in the pocket.Starting guards Josh Sitton and T.J. Lang each sat out practice Wednesday with injuries suffered the last time the Packers played, a 44-23 loss at New Orleans on Oct. 26. Sitton and Lang are the Packers best offensive linemen, and the longest-tenured players on what coach Mike McCarthy considers one of best front fives in his nine seasons in Green Bay.Now, there are questions about the line going into Sunday nights NFC North showdown against the Chicago Bears.The best offensive lines in my opinion are the ones that play week in and week out. The timing, the communication, particularly the non-verbal communication, happens so fast at the line of scrimmage, so its definitely a big part of the flow of your offence, McCarthy said.Lang was carted off the field in New Orleans with a left ankle injury. Sitton said he may have torn a ligament in his left big toe in the second half of the same game, but gutted it out through the end.First few days, it was pretty swollen and pretty sore. So its come a long way, said Sitton, the left guard.How Sitton and Lang respond to treatment the next few days will be telling about whether they will be available Sunday.At least the Packers got Rodgers back for the first full practice after the bye. Rodgers, who tweaked his hamstring while scrambling against the Saints, followed a rehab program during the off week and got acupuncture to help with the injury.McCarthy said his franchise quarterback looked good at practice. Still, some dynamics have changed since the Bears and Packers last met on Sept. 28, a 38-17 win for Green Bay at Soldier Field.Besides the uncertainty on the line, the Bears figure to have Jared Allen back; the veteran defensive lineman missed the teams first meeting with an illness. While not a real running threat, Rodgers does rely on his mobility to help extend plays.Asked about compensating for potentially being without Lang and Sitton or being cautious with his hamstring, Rodgers said Well, I take care of my body pretty well, and I trust that by Sunday that its not going to be an issue.I just have to play my game and if something happens I might dial it back a little bit, Rodgers said.But hes having such a good season that dialing it back for Rodgers might mean an average year for anyone else.Rodgers leads the league with a 113.6 passer rating. He has thrown 19 touchdowns in helping lead the Packers to a 5-3 record, which included a six-game stretch without an interception.What makes the season more impressive is that Green Bay hasnt had the production expected out of the running game with Eddie Lacy and James Starks. That in part is due to a lack of opportunities with the Packers up-tempo offence scoring on quick-strike drives.While receivers Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb have been torturing secondaries, rookie wideout Davante Adams is still emerging as a third target. Also, Green Bay hasnt had a consistent threat at tight end since Jermichael Finley got knocked out last season by a neck injury.Well, its just about finding the right matchups for us, whatever that might be. Jordy and Randall have had a lot of targets go their way. Theyve been open a lot, Rodgers said. But you know this is a progression offence, as the West Coast offences are, and Im going to go through (them) and look for the guy thats open.Notes: The Packers did get three defensive starters at practice with safety Morgan Burnett (calf), cornerback Sam Shields (knee) and end Datone Jones (ankle) all returning at full participation. Rodgers was also officially listed as a full participant. ... Green Bay signed guard Jordan McCray to the practice squad while releasing running back Michael Hill. ... The team announced that is testing the addition of 200 standing-room only tickets for the first time for the next two games, against the Bears followed by the Eagles. That would increase Lambeau Fields capacity to 80,935. The tickets are priced at $75.___AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL___Follow Genaro Armas at http://twitter.com/GArmasAP Sneakers Uk Online Shop . Catch the game on TSN starting at 7pm et/4pm pt. 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Wayne and Cindy Tuck of Ilderton, Ont., closed out round-robin play earlier in the day with a 7-3 win over Finland but needed a win over Austria to reach the final eight.ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Hank Conger got his first RBI of the season the hard way. It was the ultimate in taking one for the team. Conger was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the 11th inning after rookie Jeurys Familia intentionally walked the previous two batters, and the Los Angeles Angels got home runs from Mike Trout and J.B. Shuck in a 5-4 victory over the New York Mets on Friday night. "With bases loaded, your job is to try to somehow get on base so youll drive in the run. So I was just trying to get a pitch up because I knew a sac fly would do," said Conger, who entered on defence in the ninth after catcher Chris Iannetta was replaced by a pinch runner. "I just went up there trying to battle him." Raul Ibanez led off the 11th with a single against Familia (0-2), who was working his third inning of relief. Ibanez advanced on a wild pitch and went to third on a grounder to shortstop by David Freese before Mets manager Terry Collins ordered Familia to walk Howie Kendrick and Shuck to set up a force at any base. "Thats part of the game, you know? Sometimes you have to do that -- walk the guy and try to get a double play," Familia said. "So you just try to keep going, pound the zone and try to get groundballs." The strategy backfired when Familia plunked Conger in the ribs with a 2-2 delivery on his 51st pitch. Conger recoiled to absorb the blow. The run ended a string of 18 2-3 scoreless innings by Mets relievers after they allowed 13 earned runs in the teams first four games. Kyle Farnsworth helped keep the streak going when he retired Albert Pujols on a grounder with the bases loaded to end the eighth. Pujols came up again in the 10th with two on and hit a bouncer back to Familia for the third out, leaving the three-time NL MVP with five RBIs in his first 41 at-bats. Michael Kohn (1-0) pitched a perfect inning for the win. Travis dArnaud homered for the Mets and Josh Satin hit a two-run double. This is the Mets third visit to Anaheim since interleague play began in 1997. Their previous series at the "Big A" was in June 2008, when manager Willie Randolph was fired in the middle of the night and replaced by Jerry Manuel. New Yorks 4-2 lead evaporated in the sixth when Dillon p;Gee gave up a walk to Kendrick and a two-run homer by Shuck that landed in the lower seats in the right field corner.dddddddddddd It came in the first game of the season for Shuck, recalled from the minors Wednesday when right fielder Josh Hamilton went on the disabled list with a torn ligament in his left thumb. Hamilton, injured on a headfirst slide into first base Tuesday at Seattle, had surgery Friday morning and is expected to be sidelined six to eight weeks. "It says a lot about J.B. and a lot about the team," Conger said. "Obviously, it had to be kind of a shock for him to get sent down toward the end of spring training. The team knows theres big shoes to fill, as far as Hamilton goes. So he comes up here and plays with a chip on his shoulder, and tonight he did an awesome job." Gee was charged with four runs and six hits in 5 2-3 innings, the first time in 20 starts that he failed to get through the sixth. He walked the bases loaded in the fifth, but escaped when Satin fielded a grounder by Ibanez that hit first base and bounced high in the air. "Its really frustrating. Today was just not a good outing all the way around," Gee said. "I didnt feel really good and I struggled with command, walking as many guys as I did. So I just tried to battle through it and grind it out. This was one of those days where I had trouble finding the release point I wanted." The Mets, who travelled cross-country following Thursday nights 6-4 victory in Atlanta, didnt get to their hotel until 3 a.m. But they scored in three of the first four innings against lefty Tyler Skaggs. "You want to put up zeros, but fortunately the team picked me up," said Skaggs, who went seven innings. Curtis Granderson caught Shucks flyball in the right field corner for the first out of the eighth, then did an immediate 360 toward the stands after a fan reached out and touched him on the back. Security guards escorted the fan out moments later. NOTES: Collins piloted the Angels for two-plus seasons and resigned with 29 games left in the 1999 campaign. Mike Scioscia took over the following season. ... The Angels reinstated RHP Dane De La Rosa (strained forearm) from the disabled list and optioned LHP Nick Maronde to Triple-A Salt Lake. ' ' '