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Hammel gives up key hit to Wacha, Cards beat Cubs

By WTOP Staff

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Jason Hammel struck out the side to start the game. That fast start quickly unraveled for the Cubs right-hander.

Hammel gave up four runs in the second inning and Chicago lost to the St. Louis Cardinals 5-3 Thursday.

St. Louis rookie pitcher Michael Wacha’s two-run single in between a run-scoring groundout by Yadier Molina and Matt Carpenter’s RBI double was the key hit in the inning.

“It’s a kiss of death to strike out the side in the first inning,” Hammel said. “Today was probably the best physically I’ve felt all year. That’s the way the game works. Sometimes it doesn’t work out. I was able to battle through it and keep us in it for a while.

“I was aggressive, but I wasn’t quality aggressive. That’s where I’ve got to make my adjustments. A lot of it was just bad timing for misses. I was confident in what I was doing. It was a little bit of a labor,” he said.

Hammel (4-2) gave up five runs on five hits and two walks in 5 1-3 innings, raising his ERA to 3.06. He struck out six.

The Cubs have lost nine of their last 11 and are off to the worst start in 39 games (13-26) since 2002.

Despite that statistic, Hammel said he believes Chicago is not that far off.

“You’ve got to stay looking at the positives because we’ve played a lot of good ballgames,” Hammel said, “We’re not getting blown out. It’s not ugly games. It’s just one or two pitches here or there or one or two timely hits we haven’t gotten.

“We’re not just laying down. It’s frustrating but actually, we’ve played pretty good ball,” he said.

The 6-foot-6 Wacha (3-3) had lost his last three decisions since an April 13 win over the Cubs. The 22-year-old right-hander allowed seven hits, including a homer, but did not walk a batter. He struck out five in seven innings.

“I was able to pound the strike zone down in the zone and it was pretty effective,” Wacha said. “I kept them off-balance, which means it’s a pretty good day. It’s definitely nice to go deep into a ballgame and get a win. It definitely gets your confidence going in the next start that’s for sure.”

Trevor Rosenthal pitched 1 2-3 innings for his 11th save. Rosenthal, who blew a save Tuesday, inherited a one-out, bases-loaded situation and gave up a sacrifice fly, but closed out the inning and retired the side in the ninth.

Chicago got two runs back in the fourth on a home run just inside the left-field foul pole by Starlin Castro. He drove in No. 3 hitter Anthony Rizzo, who beat the St. Louis shift to the right side with his second bunt to the left side in two at-bats.

When Rizzo came to bat in the fifth and seventh, St. Louis did not shift.

“If they’re going to give me that, I might as well take it,” Rizzo said. “We were able to cash in once. I almost make them pay twice for it. Wacha is a great pitcher, but you get him on the stretch and try to get him off his game a little bit.”

The Cardinals made it 5-2 when Molina lined a 3-2 pitch just inside the line in left for a one-out RBI single.

Junior Lake hit a sacrifice fly for a run in the eighth, but Rosenthal got out the jam.

“We just couldn’t get the big hit when we needed it,” Chicago manager Rick Renteria said.

NOTES: Rizzo has three career bunt singles with the Cubs after getting one in his previous 285 games. … Lake hit safely in all three games of the series (5-for-14 .375, a homer and seven RBIs) to raise his average to .393 against St. Louis and .205 against all other opponents. … The Cardinals announced the time for making up Wednesday’s game with the Cubs that was rained out. It will be played at 1:15 p.m. Aug. 30 as part of a split doubleheader. The second game will start at 7:15 p.m. instead of 6:15 p.m. … The Cardinals recalled 2B Kolten Wong on Wednesday from Triple-A Memphis and optioned infielder Greg Garcia back to the club. Wong was optioned April 27 after hitting .225 in 20 games. He hit .344 in 10 games at Memphis. He was not in the starting lineup as he was still battling the effects of a stomach virus.

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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