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Giants’ bullpen falters in 6-2 loss to Dodgers

By WTOP Staff

JOE RESNICK
Associated Press

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The San Francisco Giants’ bullpen did not live up to the major league-best 1.75 ERA they started the day with.

Jeremy Affeldt gave up a tiebreaking RBI double to Dee Gordon with two outs in the seventh inning, Yasiel Puig followed with another double off Jean Machi and Juan Gutierrez allowed two more runs in the eighth as the NL West leaders lost 6-2 to Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday in Matt Cain’s first start off the disabled list.

“They got nicked up a little, but they had been so good and really solid all year,” manager Bruce Bochy said. “It’s going to happen.”

Affeldt (0-1) had pitched 10 2-3 scoreless innings in his 10 previous appearances since coming off the DL on April 16. But Drew Butera doubled to right-center with one out and scored on Gordon’s two-out hit inside third base, with Pablo Sandoval playing in on the grass against the Dodgers’ speedy leadoff hitter. Puig then greeted Machi with a drive that landed just inside the left field line and hopped over the short fence in the corner.

“That’s a bad break,” Bochy said. “Pablo had to cover the bunt with two outs. Gordon hit it in a good spot, and the ball just bounced by him.”

Cain was charged with two runs, three hits and four walks over five-plus innings. The three-time All-Star hadn’t pitched since April 23 and missed two turns in the rotation because of a cut on the tip of his index finger. He was hurt in the clubhouse kitchen at AT&T Park when he tried to catch a knife that fell out of his hand.

“Cain pitched a good game and pounded the zone,” said Matt Kemp, who led off the ninth with his homer off Gutierrez. “He threw strikes, mixed his pitches up well and got them over the plate. We couldn’t really get anything off of him. But we waited him out, got him out of there, got to their bullpen and scored some runs at the end for the W.”

Affeldt came on in the sixth with the bases loaded and none out after Cain gave up two walks around a towering single by Puig that left fielder Michael Morse got a late start on. Gordon scored on a double-play grounder by Adrian Gonzalez, and Kemp followed with an RBI single that tied it 2-all.

“It kind of got out of hand in the sixth,” Cain said. “I let that inning get away from us and that ended up being a turning point.”

Zack Greinke (6-1) allowed two runs and six hits in seven innings, striking out eight and walking three. The right-hander extended his streak to 20 consecutive starts in which he’s allowed fewer than three runs — the longest by any pitcher since the “dead ball” era.

“I don’t think anyone thinks we can’t beat the Giants,” Greinke said. “The most important thing is winning a game we were losing for a long time. We haven’t had many of these lately — tie games or extra-inning games where we came back and won. It’s a little bit bigger because it was against the Giants.”

Greinke escaped a bases-loaded jam in the first by fanning Sandoval, who hasn’t driven home a run in 20 games and 68 at-bats since his RBI single against the Dodgers on April 16. He has only two hits in his last 26 at-bats with men in scoring position.

The Giants loaded the bases again in the second with none out, and managed to scratch out two runs. Hunter Pence drove in Angel Pagan with a sacrifice fly to center and Brandon Hicks scored on Buster Posey’s single.

Less than 24 hours after Dodgers left-hander Paul Maholm broke the left thumb of Giants first baseman Brandon Belt with a pitch, Cain plunked Hanley Ramirez above the left elbow on a 1-2 count after Gordon led off the first inning with a single and stole two bases. But Cain escaped the jam, striking out Gonzalez and retiring Kemp on a flyball.

Former Giants closer Brian Wilson escaped a bases-loaded jam in the eighth, retiring Pence on a foul pop to Butera behind the plate after a visit from pitching coach Rick Honeycutt.

NOTES: Posey started at first base for Belt, who is expected to be out for at least six weeks is in San Francisco to see a hand specialist. Bochy said that Morse will get the bulk of the playing time at first because he has more major league experience at that position than anyone else on the roster. … The Giants purchased the contract of OF Tyler Colvin from Triple-A Fresno and optioned RHP George Kontos to their Pacific Coast League club. … INF Marco Scutaro was transferred to the 60-day DL to clear a spot on the 40-man roster for Colvin, who signed with the Giants in February after spending his first five big league seasons with the Cubs and Rockies. Scutaro has yet to play this season because of a lower back strain.

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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