Yost aiming to see Royals at .500 mark

ST. PETERSBURG -- When it comes to goals, manager Ned Yost's next one for the Royals is simple: Reach .500.

"That's my goal," Yost said before Sunday's finale against the Rays. "I was just one game away yesterday."

The Royals lost on Saturday, dropping them to 32-34.

"You have to get back to .500 and then go from there. You've got to do it in steps," Yost said. "You've got to get to .500 before you can compete. You'll never compete under .500."

The Royals' last above-.500 season was 2003, also the last year that they were above the break-even point this late in the season. After 66 games, they were 34-32 and moved to 35-32 after 67 games.