KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Kansas City Royals cooled off the Oakland Athletics rather quickly.

Mike Sweeney hit a go-ahead, two-run double in a four-run eighth inning, and the Royals beat the A’s 5-3 Friday night to complete a doubleheader sweep.

Kansas City won the opener 7-1 as Luke Hudson stymied Oakland on five hits in seven innings. The A’s had just three hits in the second game and nine in the doubleheader.

Coming in, the Athletics had won six straight, 13 of 14 and 17 of 20. Oakland, which began the day with a six-game AL West lead, had won 12 in a row at Kansas City since May 30, 2003, outscoring the Royals 95-30 in that span.

“I don’t know what it is,” Royals manager Buddy Bell said between games. “I don’t think we play any different.”

The Royals last swept a doubleheader Sept. 20, 2005, when they hosted the Detroit Tigers. Oakland played its first doubleheader since June 8, 2003, when it was swept at Philadelphia. The A’s have not swept a twinbill since Aug. 22, 1998, against Detroit.

In the second game, Frank Thomas hit a two-run homer in the eighth off Ambiorix Burgos (3-5) for a 3-1 lead. Thomas’ 26th homer this season gave him 1,537 RBIs, tying Joe DiMaggio for 39th place.

Andres Blanco and David DeJesus singled off Justin Duchscherer in the bottom half, and Esteban German hit a run-scoring grounder.

Huston Street relieved, Mark Teahen singled and Sweeney doubled to left, taking third on the throw home. Emil Brown followed with a sacrifice fly off Street, who blew a save for the eighth time in 37 opportunities.

Joe Nelson pitched the ninth for his second save in as many chances. Kansas City starter Jorge De La Rosa gave up two hits and four walks in five innings.

Oakland starter Esteban Loaiza gave up five hits and an unearned run in 6 2-3 innings, striking out seven and walking none. He allowed his only run when shortstop Marco Scutaro bobbled Reggie Sanders’ two-out grounder in the seventh and threw low to first as Teahen scored.

Jay Payton had hit a sacrifice fly in the sixth.

Hudson (6-4) combined with Jimmy Gobble and Joel Peralta on a six-hitter in the opener.

Ryan Shealy had three hits and two RBIs for Kansas City, which swept a three-game series at home against the Boston Red Sox from Aug. 8-10. The Royals, who had 15 hits in the first game, have the worst record in the major leagues at 45-79.

“At the point we’re at, we don’t consider anybody a bad team,” Bell said.

In his previous start last Sunday in Cleveland, Hudson gave up 11 runs – 10 earned – in one-third of an inning, allowing the first 10 batters to reach base. He gave up hits to two of Oakland’s first three batters before settling down.

“It was so bad last time I had to take some jokes and laugh about it,” Hudson said. “I just had to let it go. I’m not going to let that get me. They told me that the last time it happened was a century ago.”

Bell was pleased to see the turnaround.

“At no time did I think it was going to be a repeat,” he said. “The kid has pitched too well since he’s been here. We all deserve a mulligan every once in a while.”

Oakland manager Ken Macha was not surprised by Hudson’s performance, either.

“Previous performance has no bearing on what happens that day,” he said. “You make good pitches you get ’em out. He made good pitches today.”

Joe Blanton (13-10) gave up two runs and eight hits in six innings. While he didn’t walk any batters, he hit two with pitches.

Kansas City took a 2-1 lead in the sixth on Joey Gathright’s sacrifice fly, which followed Brown’s leadoff single, a single by Shealy on a liner in front of Payton in left, Paul Bako’s sacrifice and a hit by pitch against Angel Berroa.

Berroa crumpled to the ground after he was hit on the left shoulder and was taken to a hospital for X-rays.

Shealy added a two-run single in the seventh off Kiko Calero, Blanco singled in a run off Scott Sauerbeck, and Gathright had an RBI infield single. Brown added an RBI infield single in the eighth against Jay Witasick.

Milton Bradley put Oakland ahead in the first with an RBI single, but Sweeney hit a run-scoring double in the third.

Notes: Kansas City played its 200th doubleheader, its second in seven days. … David DeJesus was hit by a pitch leading off the first inning. It was the 10th time this season he has been hit, which tied him for fourth in the AL. … Kansas City was 5-for-17 with runners in scoring position after going 7-for-40 in its previous four games.

AP-ES-08-18-06 2353EDT