Dallas, Texas – There are no signs that the Texas Rangers’ rapid decline will end.

That’s what the Houston Astros are ensuring.

The Astros destroyed the Rangers 14-1 for the second night in a row to move them farther back in third place in the AL West and maybe further behind the Toronto Blue Jays in the fight for the wild card.

With a victory late Tuesday in Oakland, Toronto, which is tied with Texas for second place in the wild card standings, can go one-half game ahead. The Astros now lead their division by one game after the victory and a loss for the Seattle Mariners.

Including six home runs, the Rangers’ pitching staff allowed a season-high 20 hits. In the first two games of the series, the Astros and Rangers’ final regular-season meeting, the Astros had outscored the Rangers 27-7.

The defending World Series champion Astros (79-61) have put the struggling Rangers (76-62) through the ringer the last two nights after they had won 10 of their previous 14 games.

Specifically, in his first three Tuesday plate appearances, Jose Altuve erupted for three home runs. In a 12-inning span that included Monday’s 13-6 Astros victory and the first three innings on Tuesday, Altuve went 7 for 9 with five home runs, five RBI, and six runs scored.

The Astros hit six home runs, including two two-run rockets in the third and seventh innings by Martin Maldonado and a two-run shot in the seventh inning by Yordan Alvarez.