A GRIP ON SPORTS • The All-Star break is over. The unofficial second half of the baseball season begins today. What will happen with the Mariners? No one knows for sure but a lot of people may have their job on the line. Read on.

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• The News Tribune's John McGrath has a column this morning detailing the pressure on Mariners' general manager Jack Zduriencik and how it was built. Bad trades, poor drafts, managerial choices, they are all on the list. But the reasons behind it are not as important right now as what will happen over the next couple months. The pressure on Zduriencik and manager Lloyd McClendon and the players is going to build each day unless ... Yes, unless. The only thing that will save this frustrating season is winning. A long winning streak, taking a handful of series, three wins out of four games, whatever. But the wins have to come. The M's have to build on the league-low 41 wins they have today. It won't be easy. The roster, as McGrath points out, has been built in an odd, seemingly haphazard way. The bullpen has been a disappointment of last-Super-Bowl-play magnitude. There have been fewer clutch hits than there have been excellent pitching starts. This has been a season in which failure has been followed by failure, disappointment by disappointment and high note by low note. Name the highlight of the season. Felix Hernandez's performances? Mike Montgomery's? I'm not sure there is one, really. Which leaves us all shaking our head. Did you see Phil Mickleson try to get out of the bunker on 11 at St. Andrew's this morning? That was the M's season. A big swing and poof, nothing. But it isn't over yet. There are weeks and weeks of games. The chance is still there to salvage the season. The odds are not great but, for Zduriencik and McClendon's sake, the M's need to do it. Or we will watch Washington's oldest professional franchise enter the rebuilding mode once again.

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• WSU: There is a defensive position group that ESPN.com's Pac-12 blog designates as in good shape. Yep, it's the linebackers. ... The defense has been working hard in the offseason and there is video proof.

• Shock: The schedule makers haven't done Spokane any favors. A short week is culminated in tonight's game at the Arena vs. Arizona. Jim Meehan has the advance.

• Indians: It took 10 innings, but Spokane picked up a much-needed victory last night, stopping Tri-City 6-5. Chris Derrick has the game story and a blog post.

• Seahawks: According to NFL.com, the Hawks and Russell Wilson will suspend contract talks as soon as training camp starts. That's about two weeks away.

• Mariners: As Ryan Divish writes, the M's have little choice but to play better the rest of the way. But can they?

• Sounders: Seattle got some good news on the personnel front yesterday with the return of Marco Pappa in time for Saturday's match as well as the acclimation of newcomer Erik Friberg. But there was also bad news in the form of an undetermined injury to rookie Andy Craven. ... Real Salt Lake has made a trade.

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• We are once again watching the British Open while we put together this post, so we'll blame any typos on that. It could be worse. We could be playing the Road Hole. Until later ...

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