Francisco Liriano tossed seven strong innings, Delmon Young hit a three-run homer off a struggling Cliff Lee and the Minnesota Twins held on for a 6-4 victory over the Texas Rangers on Thursday.

Jim Thome homered and Michael Cuddyer drove in two runs for the American League Central-leading Twins, who held off a late rally and avoided a four-game sweep.

Liriano (12-7) allowed two runs and five hits in seven innings, striking out six and walking one. He departed with a 6-2 lead after allowing a RBI single to David Murphy and a sacrifice fly to Andres Blanco in the seventh.

Things got dicey in the eighth, as Vladimir Guerrero sliced the lead to 6-4 with a two-run shot off Matt Guerrier. But Jesse Crain got the final out of the eighth and Matt Capps threw a perfect ninth for his sixth save with Minnesota and 32nd in 39 chances.

The Twins roughed up Lee (10-8) early, and behind Liriano, carried a 6-0 lead into the seventh.

The 2008 Cy Young Award winner with Cleveland, Lee served up a three-run homer to Young in the second and a two-run double to Cuddyer in the third.

Thome's 18th homer of the season off Alexi Ogando in the sixth made it 6-0.

Lee allowed five runs and seven hits in five innings. He has been awful lately, going 1-4 with a 6.20 ERA in six starts this month. Overall, Lee is 2-5 with a 4.50 ERA in 10 starts since being acquired from Seattle on July 9.