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Fernandez hit hard in Marlins’ 10-1 loss to Padres

By WTOP Staff

SAN DIEGO (AP) — This was not the Jose Fernandez the Miami Marlins are used to seeing.

In one of the worst starts of his young career, Fernandez gave up a pair of home runs to Jedd Gyorko in the San Diego Padres’ 10-1 win over the Marlins on Friday night.

Gyorko, who came into the game hitting just .146, connected for a two-run shot in the second and a grand slam in the sixth. The six RBIs set a career high.

It was the first time in 36 career starts that the 21-year-old Fernandez had ever given up two homers in the same game.

“It was a tough one,” Fernandez said. “I was trying to do what I do, go out there and compete. But mostly my stuff wasn’t there today, my fastball really wasn’t there.”

The Padres hit Fernandez hard throughout his five-plus innings.

“I think we had a great approach to get on his heater early,” Gyorko said. “It kind of got him off a little bit.”

This game looked like a mismatch coming in. San Diego had the worst offense in the majors, averaging just 2.6 runs per game, and Fernandez had dominated the Padres in two previous starts.

The right-hander won both starts by giving up just five hits in 14 2-3 scoreless innings with 18 strikeouts.

“You get a pretty good indication how he throws on the first couple of swings and the guys were on him pretty good,” Marlins manager Mike Redmond said. “Sometimes that just happens.”

Fernandez (4-2) was charged with six runs and six hits in five-plus innings. The right-hander, who won the NL Rookie of the Year award last season, was 2-0 with a sparkling 0.60 ERA in his previous four starts.

The Padres snapped a three-game losing streak. It was their highest-scoring game since a 12-2 victory over Arizona on Sept. 25.

San Diego sent 11 men to the plate during a six-run sixth inning that broke it open. The Padres’ previous high for runs in a single game this season was six.

Tyson Ross (4-3) was working on a shutout before Marcell Ozuna homered in the seventh inning. The righty allowed four hits and struck out eight in seven innings.

Tim Stauffer and Kevin Quackenbush each pitched an inning to close out the combined four-hitter.

San Diego won for just the third time in 10 games and snapped the Marlins’ five-game winning streak.

Gyorko’s fourth homer in the second came after Yasmani Grandal reached on a throwing error by first baseman Garrett Jones.

Everth Cabrera sparked the Padres’ biggest scoring inning of the season with a leadoff single in the sixth. Seth Smith singled and Grandal walked to load the bases for Gyorko, who turned on a 2-0 fastball and hit it into the second deck of the Western Metal Supply Building down the left-field line.

It was Gyorko’s second career multi-homer game and his second grand slam.

NOTES: Marlins RHP Carlos Marmol was struck in the back by a ball off Kyle Blanks’ bat while stretching during San Diego’s batting practice. Marmol said he was fine. … Barring an injury, Padres 3B Chase Headley (strained right calf) will be activated from the 15-day DL on Saturday. Headley was scheduled to play Friday night with Single-A Lake Elsinore. … The San Diego State men’s basketball team that won the Mountain West Conference regular-season title and reached the Sweet 16 in the NCAA tournament was honored before the game. … Marlins RHP Nathan Eovaldi (2-1, 2.78 ERA) opposes Padres LHP Eric Stults (1-3, 5.40) on Saturday night.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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
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