Skip to main content

Even in win, Nats can’t catch a break

By WTOP Staff

Craig Heist, wtop.com

WASHINGTON – This was not the way Nationals catcher Sandy Leon had envisioned his Major League debut turning out.

After getting called up from Double-A Harrisburg after the torn ACL injury suffered by Wilson Ramos Saturday night in Cincinnati, Leon got the start behind the plate Monday night, catching Ross Detwiler in the Nats 8-5 win over the Padres.

Leon, known for his defensive ability was also getting the job done with the bat for the Senators, hitting .319 with one home run and 12 RBI. Ten of his 30 hits were doubles while posting an on base percentage of .356 and a slugging percentage of .457.

Monday night his debut turned into a nightmare as Padres second baseman Orlando Hudson singled to right field scoring Yonder Alonso. With Chase Headley coming right behind him, the relay throw to the plate by Danny Espinosa wasn’t in time and Headley barreled into Leon, who had his leg twist awkwardly on the play.

Leon stayed down for a few minutes and then was helped off, not able to put weight on his right leg. He was diagnosed with a high ankle sprain and will be placed on the disabled list with Carlos Maldonado getting set to join the club from Triple-A Syracuse.

“It was a clean play,” said Nats manager Davey Johnson. “He was waiting on the throw and the runner beat the throw.”

Leon is just another casualty for this club who has suffered through more than their share of injuries in the first six weeks on this season but for Johnson, it was particularly difficult to see the 23-year old from Venezuela go down under the circumstances.

“I mean such an outstanding young man, his first big league game, all pumped up and have to get hurt in his first game, that’s tough.”

Jesus Flores replaced Leon behind the plate and Johnson said he would likely start game two of the series Tuesday against the Padres. He has now seen Leon go down and after what happened with Ramos his knee ligament, Flores must be a little leery of going behind the plate.

“With what happened and with Ramos’ knee, you have to wonder, is something going on? Hopefully, it will stop happening,” Flores said.

First of many

Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper his first Major League home run in the third inning with two outs off Padres starter Tim Stauffer.

Harper hit it to center field up on the grass of the batters-eye and as he rounded the bases, got a standing ovation from the 19,434 on hand to see it and then had to come back out of the dugout for a curtain call.

It was pretty cool and I was pretty excited about that,” Harper said of the curtain call. “I wasn’t sure if I should have went up there but all the veteran guys were like, go, go get it, so I did. It was pretty cool.”

The home run came in Harper’s 15th game since joining the club on April 28. You would think he would be a little pumped up after that but afterward, his enthusiasm was held in check to a degree.

“I guess I have no words for it,” he said. “It’s just another home run in the books I guess. Hopefully it’s just one of many and now I will just try and get past that AB and get some other AB’s going.”

Johnson felt a little differently because he knows Harper goes 100 miles-an-hour most of the time.

“I thought it was great,” he said. “I don’t think it’s going to calm him down any. I think that’s impossible but it was good to see him hit the ball hard.”

Stammen to the rescue

Craig Stammen turned in another stellar relief effort for the Nationals.

He entered the game in the sixth inning with the Nats trailing 5-4 and the right-hander threw up two scoreless innings, striking out three as the Nats put up two runs in the bottom of the sixth to take the lead making him the pitcher of record. Stammen is now 3-0 on the season with an ERA of 1.29 and his success comes from how confident he is on the hill.

“It all comes down to that with the success I had last year and the beginning of this year,” he said. “Whenever someone is confident, you never know what they accomplish physically with their mind.”

Oh, Henry

After giving up Joey Votto’s grand slam home run to give the Reds a 9-6 win on Sunday, Nats closer Henry Rodriguez walked the bases loaded Monday night with a three-run lead.

Davey Johnson, who said before the game he wasn’t going to answer any more questions as to whether or not Rodriguez was his closer, had to go to Sean Burnett to try and get the final two outs and preserve the win.

Burnett did just that by getting Jesus Guzman to hit a come-backer to the mound and Burnett started a very clean 1-2-3 double play to end the game.

“You know, I still haven’t lost confidence in Henry,” Johnson said after the game. “But that was his third day in a row going and he threw a lot of pitches in Cincy so I’ll probably give him off tomorrow regardless.”

He’s been so dominant the whole year, to have a couple of hiccups, that’s part of the game,” Burnett said. “You just go out there and try and help your partner and try and save the game for him and the team. You know, we all try and pick each other up and that’s what we were able to do.”

Follow Craig and WTOP on Twitter. (Copyright 2012 by WTOP. All Rights Reserved.)

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
Read Next Story

Related News

Frustration grows in Venezuela as earthquake death toll reaches 1,430

Israel and Lebanon sign framework agreement with US in ‘first step’ toward peace, Rubio says

Trump-endorsed populist poised to become Colombia’s next president as rival challenges vote