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Tanaka tosses 4-hitter, Yankees beat Mets 4-0

By WTOP Staff

NEW YORK (AP) — Masahiro Tanaka has been every bit the ace the New York Yankees went shopping for last winter.

Tanaka pitched a four-hitter for his first major league shutout and the Yankees got home runs from Yangervis Solarte and Mark Teixeira on Wednesday night, snapping a four-game skid with a 4-0 victory over the Mets.

“Overall, I think that today was my best day,” Tanaka said through a translator.

Brian Roberts tripled twice and the Yankees finally beat their crosstown rivals after dropping six straight meetings.

The Mets took all four Subway Series games last year and won two slugfests in the Bronx this week. Back home at spacious Citi Field, however, their bats went silent again.

“You asked me about the home run barrage? We hit three of them tonight. They were just in the wrong park,” manager Terry Collins said.

Tanaka (6-0) overwhelmed the Mets with his vast assortment of pitches while spoiling Rafael Montero’s big league debut. The latest to arrive in a line of touted Mets pitching prospects, Montero threw six competitive innings but was no match for the $155 million rookie from Japan.

“In some ways, this is a David-and-Goliath matchup. One guy’s never lost and the other guy’s never pitched,” Mets general manager Sandy Alderson said before the game. “So, it’s interesting. We’ll see how many rocks Rafael’s got.”

Not enough.

Tanaka is 34-0 combined in Japan and North America over his last 42 regular-season starts. He did lose Game 6 of the Japan Series last year — before earning a save in Game 7.

“I just go up there and basically try to win every single game,” Tanaka said.

The right-hander struck out eight and walked none, throwing 114 pitches during his first complete game in the majors. He lowered his ERA to 2.17 and gave the Yankees’ taxed bullpen a much-needed break.

“I knew what was coming, but I couldn’t hit it,” Daniel Murphy said. “He’s commanding all his pitches to all zones. The splitter is the equalizer. You don’t see it that much, someone using it in any count like that.”

Tanaka became the first Yankees rookie to begin his career 6-0 as a starter since Hall of Famer Whitey Ford went 9-0 in 1950. That sort of dependability has been sorely needed, with the Yankees already missing CC Sabathia and two other injured starters.

“He’s been special,” manager Joe Girardi said.

Tanaka even singled in the ninth inning for his first major league hit — giving him one more than Mets pitchers have in 64 at-bats this season.

Asked what the highlight of the night was for him, Tanaka smiled.

“The first hit,” he said, kidding.

Girardi said Tanaka’s teammates “loved it” and gave the pitcher some good-natured ribbing.

“He’s got an idea,” Girardi said. “He wears a shin guard.”

Montero (0-1) allowed three runs and five hits. He struck out three and walked two after getting called up from Triple-A Las Vegas to step into the rotation slot previously held by Jenrry Mejia, who was moved to the bullpen.

The slim right-hander fanned Derek Jeter in the third for his first strikeout, but was hurt by his defense an inning earlier. With a runner on first and Tanaka on deck, left fielder Eric Young Jr. made an ill-advised dive in trying to catch Roberts’ sinking liner with two outs.

The ball got past Young and went to the wall, allowing Solarte to score as Roberts cruised into third with his first triple.

Solarte, the AL’s leading hitter, sent a solo homer to right in the fourth. He has 23 RBIs in his rookie season, tops on the team.

“He just keeps thrilling us all, in a sense,” Girardi said.

Teixeira lifted Montero’s second pitch of the sixth to right-center for his eighth home run and seventh in his last 15 games.

Jeter’s infield single, a dribbler that barely traveled 20 feet out in front of home plate, scored Brett Gardner in the seventh.

“I knew that we were in a little funk, losing four in a row, and I also knew that we hadn’t won a Subway Series in a while. So yes, I did want to go out there and try to get a win for us,” Tanaka said.

NOTES: Yankees RF Carlos Beltran (right elbow) was still unavailable but reserve outfielder Ichiro Suzuki (back) was feeling better, Girardi said. … Sabathia had his sore right knee drained and the Yankees hope he can return as soon as his 15-day stint on the disabled list is up, Girardi said. Sabathia was examined by Dr. James Andrews and is receiving treatment. … The Mets plan to commemorate Jeter’s final regular-season Subway Series game Thursday.

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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