Big day for Pena as Cubs top Rockies
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By Phil Rogers
The Chicago Tribune
June 27--Carlos Pena, man on a mission, was all business on a day originally scheduled to be a day off for the Chicago Cubs.
Pena and Aramis Ramirez hit two home runs apiece and Garza worked 7 1-3 strong innings -- spoiled only a little by two Carlos Gonzalez home runs -- and the Cubs beat the Rockies 7-3 Monday to open what could be the best week of baseball at Wrigley Field this season.
The game Monday was making up a rainout on April 27. The Cubs will address a May 15 rainout against San Francisco on Tuesday, playing a day-night doubleheader against the defending World Series champions. Then they host the Chicago White Sox in a weekend series, after dropping two of three at U.S. Cellular Field last week.
Ramirez's two-run shot off Jhoulys Chacin (8-5) in the bottom of the first gave the Cubs a 2-1 lead, and Garza (4-6) made it stand up. He held Colorado to three runs on five hits, working into the eighth to help keep the bullpen in operable condition for Tuesday's doubleheader. Sean Marshall finished the eighth, and Carlos Marmol worked the ninth.
Pena pushed the lead to 3-1 with a solo homer to center in the fourth inning, then made it 6-1 with a two-run, opposite-field shot after Ramirez took Chacin the other way for a double in the fifth inning.
Pena has hit all 16 of his home runs since May 3, including nine in June. That's only one less than the monthly leaders, Paul Konerko and Prince Fielder.
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