The Kansas City Royals finished the month of April on a nine-game losing streak, but are hopeful that May will be much kinder.

"You don't anticipate that," Ned Yost said. "You don't anticipate getting off to this type of start."

Kansas City occupies last place in the American League Central, 6.5 games behind the Cleveland Indians.

"We all know that [we're better]," Alex Gordon said. "That's why everyone is so mad right now and so frustrated ... We know we can do a lot better."

The Royals finished April with a Major-League-worst 63 runs scored, their lowest total in a non-strike-shortened calendar month since April 1992.

"It's a long season," Whit Merrifield said. "And there's a lot of baseball left to be played. This is a really good team. Regardless of how April was, it's a really good team."