ARLINGTON, Texas -- Max Kepler and the last-place Minnesota Twins are starting to have some fun.Theyre winning games, including three in a row against the American Leagues top team.Kepler drove in three runs with a homer and a short sacrifice fly, Tyler Duffey matched a career high with nine strikeouts and the Twins won 10-1 Thursday night in the opener of a four-game set at Texas after finishing their series at home last weekend with two straight over the Rangers.Its awesome. Its everything we ask for in a team, Kepler said. Everybodys picking each other up. No ones trying to do too much. Guys are getting on and keeping the line moving.The Twins (30-55) have won five of their last six overall.Minnesota led for good after Eduardo Nunez and Joe Mauer started the game with consecutive hits off Chi Chi Gonzalez (0-2) and both scored. Kurt Suzuki led off the second with his fifth homer, and it was 4-0 after Brian Dozier snapped an 0-for-13 slump with an RBI single later in the inning.That was a good win. It wasnt pretty early. We left men on base, but we were able to score a little bit, manager Paul Molitor said. Offensively, after four early, it didnt feel comfortable. I thought Maxs home run to extend that was good even though it was late. Then we were able to get the big inning.Keplers seventh homer of the season was a two-run shot that ignited a five-run eighth, putting the Twins up 9-0.Duffey (5-6) retired the last nine batters he faced. The right-hander limited Texas to two hits over six innings, but walked four and hit two batters.The Rangers didnt score until Rougned Odor had a one-out triple in the ninth, their first base runner since the fourth, and came home when Elvis Andrus singled.Keplers sac fly was a popup to shallow center field in the first caught by lunging shortstop Andrus. That sent Nunez home with the first run before Robbie Grossmans RBI single.Even with seven losses in nine games, the Rangers (53-34) still have the ALs best record and a 6 1/2-game lead over Houston in the AL West.For the first time in team history, Texas has gone six consecutive games without its starting pitcher finishing at least five innings.Gonzalez made it only 4 2/3 innings, throwing 124 pitches in the longest outing by a Rangers starter in that stretch that started when the young right-hander got only two outs at Minnesota last Saturday. He allowed nine hits and walked five.Bottom line, weve got to be better, we have to be better, manager Jeff Banister said. Weve been really good in some stretches, we talk about, it all starts with starting pitching. ... We cant continue to cover four or five innings in the bullpen every single night.STRANDED RUNNERSWhile Molitor wasnt sure if the Twins had scored 10 or 11 runs, he knew how many runners they left on base. I do know we left 15, he said. I always look at that.SHORT HOPSKepler has six homers in his last 17 games. ... Every Minnesota starter had a hit. The last Twin to get a hit was No. 9 batter Byron Buxton with an RBI single in the eighth. ... The Rangers failed to homer for the first time in 18 games. ... OF Jared Hoying pitched the ninth for Texas, giving up solo homer to pinch-hitter Kennys Vargas.TRAINERS ROOMTwins: Molitor said RHP Phil Hughes indicated in an e-mail Thursday that his surgery Wednesday went well. Hughes had a rib removed to help relieve thoracic outlet syndrome.Rangers: Yu Darvish threw a 32-pitch bullpen session. The Rangers will see how he feels Friday before determining if the right-hander will make his next rehab start Saturday or Sunday for Double-A Frisco. ... 1B Mitch Moreland was out of the starting lineup for the fifth consecutive day because of a mild strain in his right calf. He is expected to play Friday.UP NEXTTwins: RHP Kyle Gibson (2-5) goes for third consecutive victory. He has gone at least six innings in each of his last four starts, including last Sunday at home to beat Texas.Rangers: All-Star LHP Cole Hamels (9-2, 2.93 ERA) makes his second consecutive start against the Twins, who had five runs and 10 hits off him in four innings Sunday at Minnesota -- his shortest start since being acquired by the Rangers last July. He still has a chance to become the first Texas pitcher in four seasons to get 10 wins by the All-Star break. John Shonk Jersey Store . The Clippers were angry about blowing a big lead; the Kings didnt like being in that kind of hole and nearly digging themselves out only to lose. 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Not even by his biggest rival.Phelps blew away Ryan Lochte -- and everyone else, for that matter -- to win his fourth gold medal of the Rio Olympics and 22nd career Olympic gold medal with a victory in the 200-meter individual medley Thursday night.Phelps also set an Olympic record with his 15th individual medal, passing Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina, and became the first swimmer ever to win the same event at four straight Olympics.Winning four in a row, when the announcer said that, I had a really hard time holding it together, Phelps told NBC.?Im just living a dream come true.Phelps was back in the water 38 minutes later to swim in the 100-meter butterfly semifinals. He finished second in the first semifinal and fifth overall to advance to the final, which will be his last individual event.He said he knew the quick turnaround was going to be painful, but added that hes gotta step on the gas.If Phelps wins gold in the 100 fly, it will be his fourth straight win in the event. Then, hell close out these Olympics in the 4x100 medley relay.Things started to hit me this morning, Phelps said. I only get to put a racing suit on two more times after tonight.The 200 IM was touted as the last showdown between two of Americas greatest swimmers, although there has never been any question about which one has the upper hand.Phelps left Lochte trailing in his wake. He finished a full body length ahead of the field with total dominance on the breaststroke and freestyle legs, touching in 1 minute, 54.66 seconds.Ive been able to kinnd of finish how I wanted to, Phelps said.dddddddddddd This is exactly how I want to exit the sport.Lochte, a 12-time Olympic medalist, didnt even make it to the podium this time after taking two silvers and a bronze behind Phelps at the previous three Olympics. Lochte led at the midway point but faded to fifth with a time of 1:57.47.We bring out the best in each other, Lochte said. I was a little bummed about my performance, but I was happy for him to get a gold and get one for Team USA.Japans Kosuke Hagino took the silver in 1:56.61, while Chinas Wang Shun claimed the bronze in 1:57.05.While Phelps raced to roars in Rio, in his hometown of Baltimore, his showdown with Lochte was shown on the giant video board during a break in the fourth quarter of the Ravens preseason game against the Carolina Panthers. The crowd cheered as Phelps reached the finish line.Its not too many athletes who are going to have the world stop just to watch him, Panthers quarterback Cam Newton said. We had a real-life football game going on, and everybody just stopped to look at him. My hat goes off to Michael Phelps. Hes just an amazing athlete, an amazing citizen, who has set the bar for athletes all around.Phelps said he was texting with a friend who updated him on the Baltimore score before he went out for his race. The Ravens went on to win 22-19.I look forward to getting home to a Ravens game really soon, Phelps said.The Associated Press contributed to this report. ' ' '