MINNEAPOLIS (AP) &045; Torii Hunter is back, Carlos Silva was impressive. Maybe the Minnesota Twins didn’t need any help from trades after all.

Hunter had a homer and four RBIs in his return from the disabled list and Silva pitched seven strong innings to lead the Twins to a 15-2 victory over the Texas Rangers on Monday night.

Josh Rabe had a homer and three RBIs and Nick Punto had four hits, four runs and three RBIs to back Silva (7-9), who gave up one run and six hits and struck out four.

It was the kind of performance the Twins are going to need a lot more of from Silva if they are going to contend for the postseason. Johan Santana and Francisco Liriano are aces at the top of the rotation, but Brad Radke’s shoulder is ailing and Silva and Scott Baker have struggled for most of this season.

&8220;He’s the key,&8221; Hunter said of Silva. &8220;We know what Liriano can do, we know what Santana can

do. … We need him.&8221;

Silva was there Monday night, helping to hand the Rangers their seventh loss in eight games. The slide dropped them into last place in the AL West and has prompted general manager Jon Daniels to do some wheeling and dealing at the non-waiver trading deadline.

Daniels acquired All-Star left fielder Carlos Lee from Milwaukee last week, then got Pittsburgh starter Kip Wells and Kansas City’s Matt Stairs for a couple of minor leaguers on Monday.

The Twins jumped all over John Rheinecker (4-5) in the first, getting a little help from the Metrodome in a five-run inning.

Lee lost a bloop by Joe Mauer in the lights and Justin Morneau’s lazy pop fly dropped among Lee, center fielder Gary Matthews Jr. and shortstop Michael Young for an RBI.

Michael Cuddyer also had an RBI single before Rabe capped the big inning with a three-run homer to left for a 5-0 lead.

Morneau and Punto each had run-scoring singles in the second to push the lead to 7-0, chasing Rheinecker after 1 2-3 innings. Hunter, who spent the last 15 days on the disabled list with a stress fracture in his foot, followed with an RBI single off Joaquin Benoit for the Twins’ 10th hit of the game and an 8-0 lead after two.

&8220;It kind of snowballed on him,&8221; Rangers manager Buck Showalter said. &8220;We didn’t play that well defensively and probably should’ve gotten out of those first couple innings with only one or two runs. It’s a place that things like that seem to happen.&8221;

Rheinecker gave up eight runs and nine hits in the shortest outing of what is shaping up as a rough rookie season. He has gone 0-3 in his last five starts and hasn’t lasted longer than 4 1-3 innings in his last four.

Showalter hinted that Rheinecker could be removed from the rotation with Wells’ arrival.

&8220;It’s real frustrating, especially when you’re trying to help the ball club win every time out,&8221; Rheinecker said. &8220;We’re in contention for this thing.&8221;