A Grip on Sports: For most of us, messy is a way of life and that term can cover sports interests as well

A GRIP ON SPORTS • If you don’t think things can get messy on a Sunday morning, you’ve never seen us try to cook pancakes. Or read the morning paper. But our living room or kitchen has nothing on the world of sports today.

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• The Mariners’ mess of a season took a spilled-milk turn Saturday night in Houston. Maybe John Feinstein will document it someday, calling his book “A Great Opportunity Spoiled.”

The title could refer to the season as whole – that final chapter is yet to be written – or just to last night’s eighth inning.

Bases loaded. No one out. Tie game. Three consecutive hitters reach base without a hit (a hit batter – Ty France of course – and two walks). Catcher Cal Raleigh surrenders his rest day for a pinch-hit appearance. Steps to the plate with a batting average just above the Mendoza line.

Did we mention Astros reliever Hector Neris had struggled to throw strike? Yep. We did. But Raleigh decided to attack the first pitch. It wasn’t the best but Raleigh swung anyway. And fouled it off. Then struck out. Neris relaxed, got pinch hitter Mike Ford to pop out and struck out pesky Jose Caballero, who had a hand in the M’s earlier two runs.

When Andres Munoz yielded a solo home run to slumping Martin Maldonado (his first hit in July), the Mariners’ bid to win, gasp, three consecutive times in Houston was wasted.

• There is a chance to regain some momentum today, what with Logan Gilbert pitching in the last game before the All-Star break. The question is, can Gilbert string together two outstanding starts, after throwing a complete-game shutout his last outing?

If he can’t, things for the M’s could get even messier.

• Remember the Seinfeld episode in which George went off on his boss on a Friday, had quitter’s remorse over the weekend and walked into work Monday morning, acting as if nothing had happened?

Bob Huggins must. He just had an attorney – about the third lawyer who has represented his interests with West Virginia since his arrest for driving under the influence in Pittsburgh – send the school a letter saying, wait, he never resigned. He’s almost done with rehab and is ready to get back to his duties as head basketball coach.

We’re guessing Huggins, who also was disciplined earlier in the spring for saying something untoward on a Cincinnati radio show, didn’t watch the end of that Seinfeld episode. The kooky plan worked up by George and Jerry didn’t work. And it won’t work for Huggins. But it just might for his newest attorney, if he’s being paid hourly.

Stay tuned. Morgantown is more like the setting of a daytime soap these days than a situation comedy. Though laughter may ensue.

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Gonzaga: Lots of Bulldog news today, the first piece coming from Las Vegas once again. That’s where Theo Lawson and Tyler Tjomsland attended Chet Holmgren’s second summer league last night. The one-year Zag wonderboy posted another double-double, which Theo writes about and Tyler documents with photographs. … Dave Boling has a column today about a peer of ours, in age if not fitness. Former GU coach Julie Holt is still going strong personally, as a Cross-Fit record holder and as a coach, helping husband Nick in Italian football. It’s an interesting story well told. … Elsewhere in the WCC, sort of, former member BYU is ready embark on its Big 12 basketball journey. Wouldn’t it be funny if the Cougars had a better season in that conference then they had in the Zags’?

WSU: Around the Pac-12 and the nation, Oregon State is putting its best kicker ever, Alexis Serna, in its athletic Hall of Fame. … Does Colorado have an unlimited coaching budget these days? … UCLA hopes to do something special in its last season in the conference. … We have more from Arizona’s new recruit. … A Wildcat basketball recruit is having a special summer.

Indians: Good pitching is a great way to get back on the winning track. Jaden Hill’s four strong innings propelled Spokane to a 3-1 win over visiting Eugene. Dave Nichols was at Avista and has this game story. … Dave also has this piece on the newest Indians, as minor league’s elevator continues to move players up and down the Rockies organization.

Chiefs: Kailer Yamamoto is back in Spokane these days. He’s also going to be in Washington during the NHL season, which is fun. Dan Thompson caught up with the former Chief for this conversation about signing with the Kraken.

Mariners: We already covered the M’s loss above. But, hey, forget all the messiness. The All-Star Game is in town this year. There are players to rate, prospects to fete (the Futures Game occurred last night at T-Mobile), games to remember and a whole bunch of fun events to anticipate. What a week it will be for Seattle. And a lot of it came courtesy of the efforts of a handful of people.

Sounders: Seattle found its footing north of the border, taking a 3-2 win over host Vancouver. The Sounders were powered by Leo Chu’s two goals and Yeimar’s game winner in stoppage time.

Storm: Even though All-Star Jewell Loyd was injured midway through the contest, Seattle stayed close to host New York before falling 80-76.

Reign: Megan Rapinoe will end her career at the end of this season, which means this World Cup will be her last as well.

Golf: With Rose Zhang unable to make a move – the rookie is still in the top 10 however – the U.S. Women’s Open enters Sunday with a handful of folks with a chance to win at Pebble Beach.

Boxing: The second Brick West Boxing tournament happened Saturday. Charlotte McKinley was there and has this coverage.

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• As we leave you today, we do so with some sadness. Our first job in journalism was as a copy boy – a sexist term even in the late 1970s – at the L.A. Times. The Times announced today a change to its printed sports section. The look is cool but the content plan, in our humble opinion, sucks. It’s just another nail in the coffin-like future of a once-great daily newspaper. Speaking of change and decline, we received a nice email yesterday from a Washington State fan. He’s concerned about the impact of NIL and the transfer portal on his favorite athletic program. We get it. And may just opine on it soon. Spoiler alert: We do not think things are as bleak as Dave does. Until later …