"Just to show you everything isn't broken with the Astros, there's Hunter Pence.

Losing hasn't changed his work ethic, enthusiasm or passion. He once said he had to play angry to play well, and sometimes he does seem angry. He also shows up early, goes hard and is among baseball's most productive players.

There was a time early in his career when veteran teammates predicted he simply couldn't continue doing everything so fast, and Pence admits there are days he probably does hurt himself by doing too much pregame work.

But midway through the worst season the Astros have had, Pence is in the National League's top 10 in an assortment of offensive categories, including batting average (sixth), RBIs (seventh), doubles (first) and hits (third).

His consistency is equally as impressive. He hit 25 home runs in three straight seasons and batted .282 in the past two. This season, his batting average is up, but his homers are down.

At his current, pace, Pence will finish the year with 44 doubles, 18 home runs and 106 RBIs. He's the only feared hitter in a weak lineup, yet he continues to produce.

"I just try to give it everything I have," Pence, 28, said. "That's how I compete. It's a team sport. There's no individual success that matters at all."

He also has become the face of the franchise. When Pence arrived four years ago, Craig Biggio, Lance Berkman and Roy Oswalt were around and he was the wide-eyed kid trying to prove he belonged."