Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Sidney Ponson wipes his brow after giving up a run to the Chicago White Sox on Friday in Kansas City, Mo. The White Sox swept the Royals.

After beginning the year on such a promising note, the Kansas City Royals must feel trapped in a cruel and savage time warp.

It’s no longer 2009. It’s 2005. They’re not the team that improved its record three years in a row, charmed everyone who believes in the work ethic and became the sexy pick in the AL Central. Again they look like stumblebums and sadsacks, hopeless also-rans in the midst of a long and dreary 100-loss year.

The schedule, in what almost seemed an act of mercy, gave the Royals Monday off before they launch a nine-game road trip. So there was time to collect their thoughts following a painful 1-5 homestand in which almost nothing went right, and even Zack Greinke failed to hold a three-run lead.

What’s so shocking is that just three weeks ago, the bad times finally seemed behind the Royals.

They were 18-11, winners of five in a row and seven out of eight. They owned first place in the AL Central. They played in a renovated stadium. They were sending the game’s best pitcher to the mound every five days, and they had the best staff earned-run average in baseball.

They also had a fan base that hadn’t been this excited in more than a decade.

But since then, the Royals have played 21 games and won five.

They’re now four games below .500. Only three teams in the league have a worse record, and only one has scored fewer runs.

It’s familiar territory. The players seem to be finding new ways to lose, waiting for the opponent to take charge, just as they did when 100-loss seasons were the norm and the few good players they developed, such as Carlos Beltran, Jermaine Dye and Johnny Damon, couldn’t wait to escape.

Players acknowledge they’re at a loss for words.

“We’re just going through a really tough stretch right now,” right fielder Jose Guillen said. “This is the big leagues. We’re all grown-ups, and we all need to look in the mirror and realize it’s not as bad a team as people think. We’ve just got to make adjustments and play like real big-league players.”

“It’s the same story,” added Hillman. “I think the mental approach is there. I know it’s being taught the right way. It’s just a matter of guys making physical adjustments to go along with the situations that are presenting themselves when we’ve got what should be easy RBI opportunities.”

When did the White Sox last sweep a three-game series in Kauffman stadium? In 2005.

How many did the Royals lose that year? Exactly 106.

If things don’t turn around, this could be a long summer in a pretty stadium.