Kansas City, Mo. ? The weather wiped out one of the worst performances of Esteban Loaiza’s career. Erasing it from his mind won’t be so easy.

Oakland’s struggling right-hander lasted only into the second inning Saturday night, giving up six walks and Reggie Sanders’ grand slam, but got off the hook when the Athletics’ game against the Kansas City Royals was called in the bottom of the third because of rain with the Royals up, 6-1.

The rainout preserved Oakland’s 11-game winning streak in Kansas City and wiped away all the stats that had been accrued. The game will be made up as part of a doubleheader Aug. 18.

For the Royals, who haven’t won a home series against Oakland since July 1999, the rainout was yet another disappointment in an already awful season.

“You can’t assume the outcome, obviously,” said starter Jeremy Affeldt, who had five strikeouts in three innings. “But I think the way we were playing, defensively and offensively, you’ve got to think we’d have gotten a break there – and then this happened.”

Kerry Robinson, called up from Triple-A Omaha on Saturday, led off the Royals first with a single. Mark Grudzielanek and Doug Mientkiewicz walked to load the bases, and Sanders drove Loaiza’s 0-1 pitch well up the hill beyond the left-field wall. It would have been the sixth grand slam of his career.

¢ Notes: Oakland OF Milton Bradley was held out because of a sore left knee. A’s manager Ken Macha said Bradley worked out for trainers Saturday and had pain in his knee when he moved to his left. He has not played since Tuesday. … Robinson was called up when the Royals put CF Shane Costa on the 15-day disabled list because of a strained left hamstring. Costa, who had been filling in because of David DeJesus’ hamstring strain, hurt himself running out a double in Friday night’s 5-3 loss to Oakland. … Royals slugger Mike Sweeney, who strained his back diving out of the way of a pitch in the ninth inning Friday, was not in the lineup and is day-to-day. Stairs replaced him as the DH.