A's starting pitcher Dallas Braden reaches out to grab a bouncer hit back to the mound by Texas Rangers' Marlon Byrd in the first inning Thursday in Arlington, Texas. Byrd was out at first.
The Rangers had two on in the eighth when Ian Kinsler hit a towering flyball to straightaway center. Sweeney retreated, leaped and stuck his glove above the eight-foot wall to make the play.
Kinsler slammed his helmet to the ground with both hands when Sweeney pulled his glove back over the wall with the ball.
Braden (3-2) allowed five hits and walked four, but managed to work his way out of trouble. The left-hander struck out six, escaping bases-loaded jams his last two innings with Ks.
Before Matt Holliday homered in the ninth, Oakland got runs on two sacrifice flies and a bases-loaded walk issued by Eddie Guardado, who threw four balls to the only batter he faced and was ejected by umpire Angel Campos after he had already been taken out of the game.
Andruw Jones homered for Texas in the ninth, right after Michael Young was thrown out trying for a triple on a ball hit off the left-field wall. Michael Wuertz, closing with Brad Ziegler out sick, still got his first save.
Holliday's homer was his first in 18 games for Oakland since being acquired from Colorado over the winter.
Landon Powell, a late addition to the Oakland lineup, hit a sac fly off Vicente Padilla (1-2) to break a scoreless tie in the sixth.
Padilla was pulled after loading the bases with no outs in the seventh, including a disputed call when the right-hander was covering first and stepped on the base simultaneously with Sweeney, who was called safe.
Guardado came on and walked Jack Cust before being lifted by manager Ron Washington. As Guardado walked off the mound, he had words with Campos, who remained near home plate.
Campos then ejected Guardado, who slung his glove and cap toward the stands near the Rangers dugout. The veteran reliever, who has a 9.64 ERA in nine appearances, then raised both arms over his head to incite the fans, who responded with cheers as he stomped into the dugout.
Kurt Suzuki added a sac fly for a 3-0 lead.
Two of Oakland's three shutout losses are in games started by Braden, and it was still a scoreless game when he threw the last of his 111 pitches.
Andrew Bailey pitched two shutout innings before Russ Springer took over and allowed Hank Blalock's sixth home run leading off the eighth.
Powell started at first base after Eric Chavez was scratched from what would have been his first game since Friday. Chavez, who missed nine of the previous 12 games with a sore right elbow, didn't play because of a strained right forearm.
Notes: Rangers C Jarrod Saltalamacchia left after two innings because of eye irritation. ... A's RHP Justin Duchscherer was started a throwing program in Arizona in his comeback from right elbow surgery. He is at least a month away from pitching in a rehab assignment. ... Rangers RHP Kris Benson, on the DL with tendinitis in his right elbow, threw on the side without problems and will make a rehab start Sunday at Double-A Frisco.
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