MLB: Texas 11, Minnesota 1

ARLINGTON, Texas, Aug. 20 (UPI) -- Marlon Byrd hit two home runs, had four RBI and paced a 17-hit attack Thursday that propelled the Texas Rangers to an 11-1 whipping of Minnesota.

The Rangers remained a game behind Boston in the American League wild-card race and inched within 5 ½ games of the Los Angeles Angels for the lead in the AL West.

Texas split the four-game series, but lost its two previous outings after letting leads of five and four runs get away in the middle innings. The Rangers appeared in jeopardy of allowing another advantage to evaporate when the Twins put their first two runners on in the sixth while trailing 4-1.

Minnesota, however, failed to score in the sixth and Texas scored five times in the bottom half of the inning to turn the game into a rout.

Nelson Cruz led off the sixth inning with a homer and Byrd finished it with a sacrifice fly that delivered Michael Young from third. That was Byrd's fourth RBI of the game after he had hit a solo homer in the second and two-run blast in the third.

Rookie Julio Borbon had three hits and three RBI. In nine games since Texas called Borbon up from the minors, he has 15 hits in 30 at bats.

Derek Holland (7-7) allowed seven hits in 5 1/3 innings, but he surrendered just one run to get the win.

Anthony Swarzak (3-7) absorbed the loss, surrendering six runs on eight hits in 5 1/3.