Kinsler and Cruz hit homers as AL West-leading Texas beats Toronto 8-1 to end 5-game skid

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Kinsler, Cruz homer as Rangers beat Blue Jays 8-1

TORONTO — Ian Kinsler led off the game with a home run, Derek Holland won for the first time since mid-May and the AL West-leading Texas Rangers stopped their losing streak at five Wednesday night with an 8-1 win over the Toronto Blue Jays.

Nelson Cruz also homered for Texas, which had lost seven in a row to the Blue Jays since a victory on opening day.

Kinsler hit the 13th leadoff home run of his career and first this season. Cruz launched a two-run drive off the center-field restaurant in the ninth, his 17th.

Jeff Francoeur added three hits for the Rangers.

Holland (3-3) left after five scoreless innings. He gave up only three singles and struck out eight.

Holland had lost his past three decisions, and was winless since beating the Angels on May 17. He missed 54 games in June and July with shoulder and knee problems and returned to the rotation last week when righty Rich Harden was moved to the bullpen.

The left-hander was hit hard in his only other appearance against the Blue Jays, allowing a career-high 10 runs in three innings of an 18-10 home loss on Aug. 31, 2009.

Jose Molina’s solo shot in the eighth was the only run for the Blue Jays, who extended their streak of games with at least one homer to 10.

The crowd of 10,616 marked the second straight night and Blue Jays have played before fewer than 11,000 fans.

Matt Harrison worked the sixth for Texas and Darren O’Day left after Molina’s leadoff homer in the eighth. Darren Oliver replaced him and finished the inning before Neftali Feliz pitched the ninth.

Kinsler homered on the fifth pitch of the night from Marc Rzepczynski (1-4), now winless in five starts. The homer was Kinsler’s eighth.

The Rangers added one more in the first when Michael Young walked and Vladimir Guerrero and Francoeur singled.

Young had an RBI single in the fifth, and the Rangers made it 4-0 with an unearned run off Brian Tallet in the sixth, with Francoeur scoring on a throwing error by shortstop Yunel Escobar.

Bengie Molina hit an RBI single off Josh Roenicke in the Texas eighth and the Rangers capped it with three in the ninth off left-hander David Purcey. Cruz homered to left-center and David Murphy had an RBI single.

Notes: Rangers OF Josh Hamilton (sore ribs) played catch before the game, his first baseball activity since crashing into the outfield wall in Minnesota last Saturday. His return date is still unknown. … Texas LHP Cliff Lee (back) will return to the rotation Sunday against the New York Yankees. … Toronto OF Fred Lewis, who had missed the past five games with a sore right elbow, pinch-hit in the eighth and flied out. … Blue Jays 3B John McDonald (sore left arm) was scratched from the lineup and replaced by Jarrett Hoffpauir.