"Carlos Pena doesn't feel locked in at the plate, at least not by his own standards. But the veteran first baseman continues to make up for a slow start, torching opponents and creating value on the mid-season trade market.

Pena, 33, was hitting .157 through May 2, homerless in his first 70 at-bats as a Cub. But that seems a long time ago now.

His two-run homer off Ryan Vogelsong in the second inning Tuesday was his 10th in June and eighth in his last 12 games. He finished the 13-7 loss 1-for-4, and went 0-for-2 with two walks in Game 2, a lefty-lefty test vs. 2002 Cy Young winner Barry Zito.

Pena's rise is a credit to his own work ethic and an understanding of the nature of a 162-game season."