Naturals win series opener, Langford makes Double-A debut

FRISCO, Texas (September 4, 2023) – The Northwest Arkansas Naturals used three early home runs to build a lead over the Frisco RoughRiders, winning 7-3 on Monday from Riders Field.

Box Score

Wyatt Langford made his Double-A debut in Frisco (29-29, 60-66). The fourth-overall selection by the Texas Rangers this year went 0-for-4 with three groundouts and a strikeout. He started in left field and made one putout.

The Naturals (28-29, 57-69) led 5-1 in the third inning using a pair of solo homers and a three-run home run.

The Riders tied the game at 1-1 in the second inning on singles by Jax Biggers, Frainyer Chavez and Aaron Zavala. Zavala recorded the RBI and added another on a groundout in the fourth inning. David Garcia scored after his leadoff double.

The Riders also scored in the third frame with a two-out rally. Keyber Rodriguez doubled and then scored on Biggers' single.

Chavez went 2-for-3 with a double. Jax Biggers also had two hits, an RBI and a run.

Noah Bremer (1-3) started for Frisco and conceded five runs over four innings, taking the loss.

Reid Birlingmair faced the minimum in a scoreless seventh inning for Frisco and Danny Duffy allowed an unearned run in the eighth. Aidan Anderson struck out two in a three-up, three-down ninth inning.

Brad Keller (2-0) collected the win by tossing two scoreless innings in relief for the Naturals.

Frisco stranded seven on the bases Monday, six of them left in scoring position.

After a day off on Tuesday, the Riders continue the six-game series with Northwest Arkansas at 7:05 p.m. on Wednesday, September 6th. RHP Dane Acker (1-1, 3.08) starts for Frisco, opposite of LHP Noah Cameron (3-9, 5.97 ERA). Get your tickets now at RidersBaseball.com or call 972.731.9200.

About the RoughRiders

The Frisco RoughRiders are the Double-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers and the 2022 Texas League champions. In 2023, the team is celebrating its 20th anniversary and has consistently finished in the top five among all Double-A franchises in attendance yearly. In August 2014, the RoughRiders were purchased by an ownership group led by Chuck Greenberg. Since then, the new ownership group, together with the City of Frisco, has spearheaded numerous major franchise enhancements, investing over $8 million in a wide array of facility upgrades and improvements, including a state-of-the-art HD video board, sound system, Bull Moose Saloon, Bullpen Bar, Riders Outpost Team Store and the world's largest water feature in a sports facility, the massive Lazy River. These enhancements earned the Riders and the City of Frisco Ballpark Digest's prestigious "Best Ballpark Renovation" award for two consecutive years (2015 and 2016). More than 190 former RoughRiders players have gone on to play Major League Baseball including current Rangers Josh Jung, Grant Anderson and Martin Perez. For more information on the Frisco RoughRiders, please visit RidersBaseball.com or contact [email protected].