Taking stock

Jake Odorizzi stated the obvious the other day: The Twins have dug a deep enough hole for themselves that it isn't enough to win series. They need sweeps. They need a long winning streak.

Tuesday's loss to the punchless Kansas City Royals ended a five-game winning streak and contained way too many of the elements that have made 2018 a disappointment for the Twins:

• A disasterously short start (this time by Aaron Slegers)
• A baserunning blunder (Logan Morrison trying to turn a leadoff double into a triple down four runs)
• A leaky bullpen (Addison Reed, who ballooned his ERA to 4.83)
• A ninth-inning rally against mop-up relievers to make the final score look better.

Just a dreary, noncompetitive game. Just another in a season riddled with them.

Mike Berardino suggested in a game story during the weekend that the Twins might be able to move themselves out of the "seller" category before the nonwaiver trade deadline at the end of the month. Ken Rosenthal, as plugged into the web of trade rumors as anybody, said from the FS1 studio that the Twins were in wait-and-see mode -- talking trade but not yet ready to pull the trigger.

Games like Tuesday's should make the decision easier.