Seattle ? A psychologist might call it a simple case of denial. The Kansas City Royals, however, cannot escape the harsh, unmistakable facts: They are on a losing streak with seemingly no end.

“We don’t want to think about the record,” center fielder David DeJesus said after the Royals were swept by the Seattle Mariners to run their losing string to 18 games, three shy of the American League mark.

Now, staring the Royals in the face is the record of 21 losses in a row set by Baltimore at the start of the 1988 season. They also are closing in on the modern major league milestone of 23 straight losses by Philadelphia in 1961.

The Royals open a three-game series at Oakland tonight. If they are swept in their seventh straight series, they would claim a share of the AL record. They could break the mark Tuesday night at Kauffman Stadium against the Boston Red Sox.

“It’s not like we’re incapable of winning,” slugger Mike Sweeney said. “We’re just in a rut right now. It’s a big rut, though.”

The Royals are at or near the bottom of the league in batting and fielding. But it’s their pitching that really has deserted them in their plunge that began after a 6-5, 13-inning victory over the Chicago White Sox at Kansas City on July 27, their second straight victory over the AL Central leaders.

Since then, their pitchers have an earned-run average of 7.46, leaving the team with a 38-81 record and headed for its second consecutive 100-plus loss season and its third season of 100 losses or more in four years. The Royals’ overall ERA has risen to 5.62, the worst in baseball.

Kansas City lost 104 games last season. After Wednesday’s 11-5 loss in Seattle in a game in which they fell behind 8-0 after five innings, the Royals are on pace to lose 109 games this season.

“Everybody wants it to end,” said rookie catcher Paul Phillips, whose first career homer – a grand slam with two out in the ninth – was the highlight of the Royals’ lackluster Wednesday in Seattle.

Against Oakland, the Royals will start Jose Lima (4-11) tonight, Mike Wood (3-4) on Saturday night and Runelvys Hernandez (8-11) on Sunday. Manager Buddy Bell hasn’t announced his starter for the opener of the Boston series.

“I’ve just got to do my job and stay focused like the last game,” Lima said.