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Marlins rout Dodgers 13-3 with 3 HRs

By WTOP Staff

JOE RESNICK
Associated Press

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Anthony DeSclafani leaned back against a wall outside the Miami Marlins’ clubhouse, his face still dripping from sweat and a dazed look on his face as he juggled his emotions and dissected an experience that comes only once in every big league pitcher’s life.

His first big league game and first victory.

Ed Lucas homered for Miami during a six-run second inning in which second baseman Dee Gordon’s fielding error led to five unearned runs, and the Marlins scored another six runs two innings later to rout the Los Angeles Dodgers 13-3 on Wednesday night and snap a five-game losing streak.

DeSclafani, the Marlins’ minor league pitcher of the year last season, struck out seven and had a single and drove in two runs. He was 3-4 with a 4.19 ERA in eight starts at Double-A Jacksonville.

“When I got the phone call, I took a big gulp and I couldn’t even breathe,” DeSclafani said. “It hasn’t sunk in. I mean, it’s such an unreal moment. I can’t believe I got the win, can’t believe I’m in L.A., and that I’m pitching against the Dodgers.

“It still hasn’t hit me. I can’t believe I was facing the Dodger lineup, going from Jacksonville to the big leagues. I wasn’t expecting a callup. I was just trying to control my nerves. It was cool to throw the way I did, get a win and get the Marlins a win.”

DeSclafani allowed two runs and seven hits over six innings after getting staked to a 12-0 lead.

“Run support obviously helps,” he said. “But I was just so focused on trying to pound the strike zone, make sure I made quality pitches and didn’t let anything get away from me.”

Reed Johnson had a two-run homer and Jeff Mathis added a three-run shot in support of DeSclafani, a 24-year-old right-hander who was inserted into the rotation after Marlins ace Jose Fernandez was placed on the disabled list on Monday with a torn ligament in his elbow and became another high-profile candidate for Tommy John surgery.

Randy Wolf allowed one run over the final three innings for the save, the same day the 37-year-old left-hander exercised the out clause in his minor league contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks and signed a one-year deal with the Marlins.

Paul Maholm (1-4) was charged with 10 runs — five earned — and 11 hits in 3 2-3 innings. Batterymate A.J. Ellis, reinstated from the disabled list after missing 34 games because of an injured left knee that required arthroscopic surgery, was 0 for 4 in his eighth game of the season.

Yasiel Puig drove in the Dodgers’ first run with a double in the fifth, extending his career-best hitting streak to 14 games. Carl Crawford homered and Andre Ethier had an RBI single for Los Angeles.

Dodgers manager Don Mattingly used five relievers and didn’t want to waste another one in the ninth, so catcher Drew Butera came in to pitch in a major league game for the second time in his career and set the Marlins down 1-2-3 — finishing up by striking out Marcell Ozuna.

Butera’s other appearance as a pitcher was May 20, 2012, for Minnesota at Milwaukee, when he threw a scoreless inning.

“It was very similar. I was a nervous wreck,” Butera said. “We were down, obviously, and it’s not a situation we wanted to be in. Donnie asked me if I wouldn’t mind doing it, and I said ‘Sure. Anything to help the team.’ He asked me if I had ever pitcher before and I told him I had.”

The Marlins’ second-inning rally began with Johnson’s single and a bunt hit to the left side by Garrett Jones with the Dodgers’ infield defense overshifting the other way. A one-out single by Mathis loaded the bases for DeSclafani in his first big league plate appearance, and two runs scored when Gordon misplayed his grounder.

Yelish followed with a sacrifice fly, and Lucas drove a 2-2 pitch barely over the fence in left for his fifth big league homer and first this season. Giancarlo Stanton, whose three hits extended his hitting streak to 16 games, doubled over Crawford’s head in left and came all the way home when Jeff Baker beat out an infield dribbler for Miami’s sixth hit of the inning.

Gordon’s error was the Dodgers’ 36th in 42 games this season, accounting for 24 unearned runs — tying them with Cleveland for second-most allowed in the majors behind Philadelphia’s 28.

NOTES: According to Scott Boras, the agent for Fernandez, his client has yet to commit to Tommy John surgery — which team physician Lee Kaplan recommended on Tuesday to repair the torn ligament in the 21-year-old’s right elbow. “I think he’s got to walk through some steps before he makes a decision,” Boras said. … Wolf, a 14-year veteran who missed the entire 2013 season recovering from Tommy John surgery, hadn’t pitched off a major league mound since Sept. 22, 2012. He began this season with Arizona’s Triple-A Reno club, going 5-1 with a 4.50 ERA in six starts.

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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