St. Petersburg, FL (Sports Network) - Ian Kinsler and Elvis Andrus each had three RBI to help Texas snap a seven-game skid with a 7-1 win over Tampa Bay that pulled the Rangers even with the Rays at the top of the heated AL wild- card race.

Kinsler homered to begin the game and Andrus went deep during a four-run third for the Rangers, who won for only the second time in their last 12 games.

"Given the circumstances, it was a big win. We're gonna try to build off it as best we can," Kinsler said.

Alexi Ogando (7-4), making his first start for Texas since Aug. 13, limited the Rays to two hits, one being a Jose Lobaton homer, in five innings of work.

Starter Jeremy Hellickson (11-9) lasted just 2 2/3 innings in his outing for Tampa Bay.

The Rays and Rangers are a half-game up on Cleveland in the playoff race.

Kinsler drove Hellickson's first pitch of the contest down the left-field line, then jumped on another first-pitch offering from the Tampa Bay right- hander in the third and plated two with a single.

The inning began with a walk to Mitch Moreland and a double by Leonys Martin, who finished with three extra-base hits. After Kinsler made it 3-0, Andrus followed with homer over the left-field wall.

"I just didn't start off right. I settled down a little bit, and in the third walked the leadoff guy and you can't do that against a lineup like that," Hellickson said.

Lobaton's towering shot inside the right-field foul pole put the Rays on the board in the home third, but Texas got the run back in the fifth on Andrus' sacrifice fly.

Martin added a solo blast to the right-field seats in the ninth.