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Giants rally to give Cain 1st win

By WTOP Staff

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Matt Cain’s winless drought is over, even though the Giants’ three-time All-Star pitcher is still struggling with some of his mechanics.

After nearly seven weeks of frustration, Cain isn’t about to complain.

Buster Posey hit a go-ahead double as part of a three-run fifth inning and San Francisco held on to beat the Miami Marlins 6-4 on Thursday night.

Cain (1-3) earned his first win of the season despite another shaky outing at AT&T Park. The former San Francisco ace gave up two home runs and allowed all the Marlins’ scoring in the first three innings before settling down to pitch into the eighth.

“He didn’t cave in,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. “He gave up four runs in the first three innings and here he is in the eighth. It says a lot about him. Good for him. It’s got to be a good feeling.”

Cain hadn’t won since Aug. 17, 2013 — a string of 11 consecutive starts.

It looked like the drought might continue after Cain was nearly knocked out of the game in the third inning, but he stuck around long enough to get the win in his second outing since slicing the index finger on his right hand.

After giving up two home runs to the first seven batters he faced, Cain settled down to allowed six hits over 7 2-3 uneven innings. He struck out seven and walked three.

“I made some bad pitches and those guys really capitalized on it,” Cain said. “I was making good pitches other than that. I just needed to eliminate the big one that kept costing me.”

Mike Morse homered for the second consecutive game and drove in three runs while Hunter Pence added three hits and scored twice for the Giants, who trailed by three runs before rallying to bail out Cain.

Garrett Jones hit his sixth home run for Miami.

The Marlins had won 12 of their last 15 games at the Giants’ waterfront ballpark and were comfortably ahead 4-1 before San Francisco’s comeback.

“We swung the bats great in the first three innings,” Miami manager Mike Redmond said. “We have to do a better job of shutting them down after we score. We have to do a better job of executing our pitches and shutting them down.”

Morse, who finished with three hits, cut the gap to 4-3 when he hit a two-run home run off Miami starter Nathan Eovaldi (2-2) in the third.

The Giants took the lead for good in the fifth after Angel Pagan drew a leadoff walk and Pence singled. Posey followed with his towering drive to right-center. Morse added an RBI single.

Jeremy Affeldt retired one batter and Sergio Romo worked the ninth for his 14th save.

Miami couldn’t capitalize off the quick start and was held scoreless over the final six innings.

The Marlins announced before the game that ace Jose Fernandez will have Tommy John surgery Friday, ending the season for the reigning NL Rookie of the Year.

“Our focus is to get him back,” Redmond said. “I’m glad he’s having it done and starting his recovery process. Obviously it’s a big blow for us.”

Giancarlo Stanton singled in the fifth to extend his 17-game hitting streak but the Marlins dropped to 2-6 on their 11-game road trip.

Cain fell behind early after giving up a solo home run to Derek Dietrich with one out in the first.

Miami added two runs in the second on Jones’ two-run homer, then made it 4-1 on Casey McGehee’s RBI double in the third.

Eovaldi gave up an RBI groundout to Brandon Hicks in the second then retired four straight following Morse’s home run until the Giants’ broke the game open in the fifth. Eovaldi allowed nine hits and six runs over 4 1-3 innings.

NOTES: Pablo Sandoval went 1 for 4 in his return to the Giants lineup after leaving Sunday’s win over Atlanta with a sore toe. … RHP Anthony DeSclafani, who made his major league debut Sunday in Fernandez’s place, will remain in the Marlins’ rotation for now. … RHP Henderson Alvarez (2-3) pitches Friday and makes his second career start against the Giants. … Tim Hudson was scheduled to pitch for San Francisco but has been scratched due to a hip strain. RHP Yusmeiro Petit (2-1) will start in Hudson’s place.

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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