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Posey misses tag, Giants lose to Braves 5-0

By WTOP Staff

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A bit of indecision by Buster Posey cost the San Francisco Giants and led to a big inning for Atlanta.

Posey’s missed tag on Jason Heyward’s mad dash home helped fuel a three-run sixth for the Braves, who beat the Giants for the first time in five tries this season, 5-0 on Tuesday night.

“I thought I was in the right position,” Posey said. “I didn’t think there was a way for him to get around me. I missed him and that would have been a big out. It flipped-flopped the momentum a little bit.”

The big inning never would have happened without some aggressive baserunning by Heyward, who advanced to second on a deep flyout before scoring with an athletic play on Freddie Freeman’s single to right.

Hunter Pence’s throw home easily beat Heyward, who ducked under Posey’s tag attempt and dove across the plate for a key run.

“It was a reaction,” Heyward said. “It’s not the way you draw it up. I by no means would like to try it again as far as me running home and see the ball flying in from right field that far ahead of me. Just a hustle play and it worked out.”

Posey knew immediately that he missed the tag and didn’t even try to argue. Giants manager Bruce Bochy challenged the play anyway, but umpire Ed Hickox’s call was confirmed on replay.

“You don’t have time to think, it’s happening so fast,” Posey said. “I caught the ball and saw him in front of me and I went and made a tag. I should have jabbed a little bit more. It does seem more guys are getting creative with their slides, more so than in the past. You don’t expect a big guy like that to move like he did.”

That play loomed even larger when B.J. Upton and Andrelton Simmons hit two-out RBI singles off Ryan Vogelsong (1-2) that made it 4-0, giving Mike Minor (1-2) more than enough support to end an eight-start winless streak dating to last season. He allowed three hits and two walks in 6 2-3 innings, striking out six.

Evan Gattis also drove in a run with his first career triple to help the Braves win for the fourth time in five games.

Minor, who missed the first month this season with a sore left shoulder, pitched around a one-out double by Pence in the first inning and didn’t allow another baserunner until Angel Pagan’s two-out walk in the sixth as he shut down a Giants lineup that hit eight homers in the first four meetings with the Braves.

Minor gave up two of those in a 2-1 loss at home on May 2, but yielded nothing in the rematch, retiring 16 batters in a row at one point.

That stretch ended when Pagan walked and went to third on Pence’s second double of the night. Minor struck out Posey to end the threat.

“Their guy pitched well,” Bochy said. “We didn’t do hardly anything offensively. Minor was hitting both sides of the plate and hitting his spots.”

Minor left with runners on first and second in the seventh. Ian Thomas struck out Brandon Crawford to escape the jam.

Vogelsong matched his career high with eight strikeouts but was done in by the big sixth inning.

“I wasn’t distracted,” Vogelsong said. “I just didn’t make very good pitches after that. He was safe and it’s my job to throw pitches after that to get us out of there. I didn’t do it.”

The Braves added another run in the seventh after a replay review overturned a call of an inning-ending double play. Atlanta manager Fredi Gonzalez challenged the call and Freeman was ruled safe at first after replays showed reliever David Huff never touched first base, allowing Tyler Pastornicky to score.

NOTES: Pagan left the game with a sore knee and will get a day off Wednesday. … Atlanta is 14-0 when scoring first. … Hector Sanchez started at first base for San Francisco for the first time in his career. … Madison Bumgarner (4-3) will start the series finale for San Francisco against Julio Teheran (2-2) on Wednesday.

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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