Oliver Can’t Explain Mastery of Blue Jays

Darren Oliver can’t explain why he pitches best against the Toronto Blue Jays.

Oliver pitched his second career shutout--both against Toronto--as the Texas Rangers won, 6-0, Wednesday.

Oliver improved to 5-0 against the Blue Jays.

“That’s the way baseball is sometimes,” said Oliver, who scattered eight hits in his first complete game this season. “They like to swing the bat, so I tried to keep the ball down in the strike zone against them and let them hit it on the ground.”

Oliver (6-9), who has a 0.95 career earned run average against Toronto, has won three of his last four decisions after struggling earlier this season. He struck out four and walked one.

Will Clark had two doubles and drove in three runs. Warren Newson added a three-run homer in the sixth off Pat Hentgen (9-7) as the Blue Jays dropped their third consecutive game and were shut out for the seventh time.

Hentgen, the 1996 AL Cy Young Award winner, gave up six runs and 10 hits in 5 1/3 innings, his shortest outing since Oct. 1, 1995. Hentgen, who has made 55 starts since then, struck out five and walked one.

“With runners in scoring position, I’ve got to make the pitches,” he said. “I had too many down the middle tonight. I need to bear down and keep us in the game.”