Marlon Byrd drove in three runs and the Texas Rangers extended their lead in the AL wild-card race, beating the slumping Minnesota Twins 8-5 Monday night.
After taking two of three over the weekend from Boston, the Rangers stretched their advantage to one game over the Red Sox atop the wild-card standings.
Josh Hamilton had two hits and scored twice as he batted third in the Rangers lineup for the first time since July 25. David Murphy added two RBIs for Texas, which jumped out to a 7-2 lead after the second.
Tommy Hunter (6-2) won his third straight start, allowing four runs and four hits in 5 2-3 innings.
Copyright AP - Associated Press
