Goodwin shines as East beats West 9-4 in AFL Rising Stars game

Nationals outfield prospect Brian Goodwin smacked a home run and went 2-for-5 as the East All-Stars beat the West All-Stars 9-4 in the Arizona Fall League Rising Stars Game at Talking Stick Saturday night. Trailing 2-0 in the first frame, Goodwin, a left fielder, crushed a solo homer to start the offense, cutting the deficit in half. Down 4-3 in the fifth, the East scored six times to take control and win going away. Goodwin had an RBI double in the inning to give the East a 7-4 lead. Goodwin finished with two runs and two RBIs with the double and homer. He showed well against Reds' speedy outfield sensation Billy Hamilton, who also led off and finished 1-for-3 with two runs, two walks and two stolen bases. Anthony Rendon was a substitute at third base and went 0-for-1. Aaron Barrett collected a hold, but allowed a run on one hit in one-third of an inning. Gary Brown's run-scoring single off of Barrett made it 3-3 in the fifth. He struck out a batter to record the out. But this night was for Goodwin, as he led off and was the biggest factor for the East offense in the win over the West. It was the first time a nationally televised audience got to see what the talented outfielder can do for the Nationals in seasons to come. It was an excellent display that Goodwin can not only play defense and run, but also has the power, with the double and the homer, to be a force in the offense as well.