The Rockies' "Baby Bull" is growing up fast.
Wilin Rosario crushed a third-inning solo home run off the Dodgers' Chris Capuano Monday night, his 22nd, the most by any rookie this season. Moreover, Rosario is on track to make franchise history.
It was Monday night's game, however, that provided a striking illustration of Rosario's maturation as a hitter.
Dodgers veteran right-hander Josh Beckett made the Rockies' catcher look silly in his first three at-bats. Feeding the rookie a steady diet of breaking balls, Beckett struck out Rosario twice and got him to fly out once. But in the eighth, Rosario drilled a 95-mph fastball by reliever Josh Wall over the right-center field fence for a two-run homer. Rather than try to pull the pitch to left, Rosario made solid contact on a pitch over the outside corner.