MINNEAPOLIS -- With a 7-0 loss to the Twins at Target Field on Sunday, the White Sox completed their seven-game road trip against Major League Baseball’s top two teams -- by record at the time they played them -- with a 2-5 mark. That ledger included an encouraging four-game split at Houston and an overwhelming three-game sweep at the hands of Minnesota, which now holds a 13-game lead in the American Central over the South Siders.

That division deficit is somewhat meaningless for a team in Year 3 of its rebuild, while what was learned about Rick Renteria’s crew during this past week holds far greater importance. Renteria pointed out pregame when the team pitches, you give yourself a chance.

He mentioned playing clean baseball keeps a team in games, adding these are all traits his team has picked up over the last few years. After losing for a seventh straight time to the Twins, matching up with seven straight losses at Target Field dating back to last season, Renteria pointed to the red-hot Twins' current state as a barometer of where the White Sox eventually need to arrive.

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“Absolutely,” Renteria said. “These are the clubs that you look at that you have to play against that, obviously, in our own division, that we have to learn about how they are going about doing their business, how we have to do our business against teams like this.

“Ultimately we have to get better, period. Play better defense. Pitch better. Make adjustments, in-game adjustments. They know that. They understand that, and it’s not for lack of trying or not talking about or not working. But you are looking at this [Twins] team right now and I’m going, ‘They have gotten pretty good. Pretty good.’”

Minnesota features a 36-16 record, a 10-game lead overall in the Central and 54 home runs over the month of May. The White Sox grabbed a 4-1 lead in the second inning on Friday, but were outscored 25-1 the rest of the weekend.

Six of those May home runs for the Twins came against the White Sox, including long three-run blasts from Eddie Rosario on a hanging changeup in the third inning off of starter Dylan Covey and Max Kepler in the seventh inning off reliever Josh Osich on Sunday. This trip actually epitomized the current season for the White Sox, one showing definite improvement from ‘18.

When they are good, they are an interesting, competitive team. Take a look at Lucas Giolito’s mound dominance Thursday in Houston or Eloy Jimenez’s two home runs and Charlie Tilson’s grand slam in Wednesday’s victory.

But when they are bad, the room to grow becomes evident.

“We've been getting there, getting really close,” Covey said. “Teams that we faced the last few weeks, teams like Boston and Houston and these guys, you've just got to execute everything pretty much.

“You can get away with missing your spot by a little bit, but if you throw one like I did that was first pitch right down the middle ... I'm trying to get a strike, but I'm not trying to throw it right down the middle.”

Covey allowed four runs on three hits over six innings, striking out six and walking two. His final line, much like Manny Banuelos' on Saturday, should have been better. Byron Buxton started a four-run third with a one-out single and stolen base, taking third on a throwing error by Seby Zavala, who struck out four times in his first game starting behind the plate.

Kepler followed with a line drive to center over Tilson’s head to score Buxton. A walk to Jorge Polanco and Rosario’s two-out drive turned the advantage to the Twins, sending the White Sox back to Chicago as another team vanquished by Minnesota.

“It’s like everybody is saying they’re kind of running hot,” Renteria said. “But it’s a talented group.”