(AP) -- Delmon Young hit a three-run home run and had a season-high four RBIs, Nick Punto homered and also had four RBIs, and the surging Minnesota Twins beat the free-falling Cleveland Indians 12-3 on Friday night.

Paul Byrd (3-10) hung a breaking ball to Young in the third inning and the second-year outfielder lined it over the left-field wall for his third home run, giving Minnesota a 5-2 lead and helped the Twins win for the 14th time in their last 16 games.

Young's blast, combined with Punto's solo homer in the first inning -- his first since June 6 of last season -- provided enough run support for Livan Hernandez (9-5) and the Minnesota bullpen.

Punto added a three-run double in the eighth for the finishing blow.

Hernandez allowed home runs to Kelly Shoppach and Ben Francisco, but held the Indians to three runs on five hits over six innings.

Hernandez's outing continued a trend of strong starting pitching for Minnesota. Twins starters have 16 quality starts over their last 19 games and are 13-1 during that stretch.

After working out of a jam in the sixth, Hernandez shouted and swung his arm in celebration as he walked back to the dugout.

The Indians, losers of six straight and last in the AL Central, cut closer Joe Borowski on Friday, saying goodbye to last season's saves leader two days after he blew his fourth save in 10 chances in a loss to the White Sox.

Several key players remain on the disabled list and rumors continue to swirl that Cleveland will trade Cy Young Award winner C.C. Sabathia rather than re-sign him to a multi-year deal.

Not even a trip to the Metrodome could snap Byrd out of his recent slide. The righty with the funky windup entered Friday's game 6-1 with a 2.03 ERA in 10 starts in Minneapolis, but lost his fifth straight.

Byrd allowed six runs and eight hits over 5 1-3 innings.

Brian Buscher, Brendan Harris and Justin Morneau drove in Minnesota's other runs.

Shoppach had three hits for Cleveland, including a two-run homer in the third that temporarily tied the game at two.