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What HE said (points in opposite directions).
On the one hand, this team has shown clear evidence that what ails it is NOT just bad luck. It's consistent bad, sloppy, play. It's not executing fundamentals. And, like you say, it's pressing. How much of this is Lloyd's fault, or how much is the psych profile of the players drafted, traded or recruited onto this team by the current GM, or how much is the more general and extended failure of the owners' custodial leadership led by Howard Lincoln, I can't distinguish with any degree of confidence.
The Mariners franchise has put itself in the position requiring existential justification of it's baseball existence (as opposed to it's business existence), and the pressures of that expectation have fallen squarely on the shoulders of this team. There is no longer any room for maneuver. Apparently even Robinson Cano is feeling the pressure despite hitting in front of Harmon Killebrew (loved that analogy in the shout box).
The M's have had a revolving door of managers since Lou; it hasn't helped. Multiple GM's. It hasn't helped. We all pretty much signed off on McClendon (despite some frustrations with particular aspects of his approach), and on Zduriencik's offseason moves. But here we are AGAIN as we near the end of May and many like me simply can't consistently enjoy the prospect of sitting down and watching an entire nine innings of M's baseball. I've got to the point where as often as possible I fast forward through action, especially when the M's are pitching, even more especially when Rodney is pitching. I can't bear to watch the M's throw away another game, the kind of game that winning teams...win.
I suppose it's correct that we need something like a managerial change to shake this team out of it's funk. Clearly it is a funk.
By the way, we shouldn't get too excited about a couple of wins against Toronto, or a win against Baltimore. Good teams put out a number of games where they win decisively. This team almost NEVER wins decisively. IF it wins, WHEN it wins, it usually escapes by the skin of it's teeth.