O's Vets are making Rookie mistakes...

This isn't how it was supposed to happen...

The O's are rebuilding, a process that is long overdue. They weren't expected to contend this year; experts were anticipating a 100 loss season.

I've always believed in the Birds, and have had a great time watching them play this year. These last few games, though, have struck a nerve...

The O's have lost three straight games, the last two of them by one run. These were games that the O's could have, and probably should have won.

And here's what I don't get...it's the veterans, not the rookies, making the mistakes.

I fully expected the young kids to make some mistakes that would change the outcome of the game. But these last few days, it's been the team leaders, the experienced players, that have lost the game or killed a rally with careless mistakes.

Starter Steve Trachsel has been the one inconsistency in the O's starting rotation. His veteran experience was supposed to keep the O's bullpen fresh, but he hasn't been able to pitch into the fifth inning lately.

In the series finale against the Angels, Brian Roberts was thrown out in the first inning attempting to steal 3rd. That wasn't too bad, though he would have scored the O's first run had he stayed at 2nd. It got worse when he was picked-off 1st in the ninth inning of a one-run game...that just can't happen.

In the same game, Ramon Hernandez ended the first inning rally when he went into a home run trot rounding 1st, then was thrown out at 2nd. Kevin Millar was stranded at 3rd; he would have scored if he had been running on contact instead of assuming the ball was out of the park.

Millar may have cost the O's the game last night, when he fielded a ball hit toward 2nd base instead of letting Roberts make the play. With Millar off the bag, and Jamie Walker hesitating to cover, the A's were able to score the first run of the game (a game they eventually won 2-1).

Here's hoping that the vets on the team start making the routine plays, giving the rookies something positive to learn from...go O's!