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Braves score 3 in 7th, rally to beat Brewers 5-4

By WTOP Staff

PAUL NEWBERRY
AP Sports Writer

ATLANTA (AP) — For Ryan Doumit, the wait was agonizing.

Imagine how the Milwaukee Brewers were feeling.

Doumit’s pinch-hit single brought home two runs after the Brewers summoned a relief pitcher who had not even been warming up, capping a three-run seventh inning that carried the Atlanta Braves to a 5-4 victory Thursday night.

Milwaukee manager Ron Roenicke told the umpires that Will Smith would take the mound in a double switch, even though Smith had not thrown at all in the bullpen.

After a lengthy delay while the umpires tried to sort things out, even getting on the headsets to talk with the video review center in New York, Smith was forced to face Doumit after tossing only the customary eight warm-up pitches.

Doumit fouled a ball off each foot before ripping a single to left, bringing home the tying and go-ahead runs.

“It was a painful at-bat,” he said, “but a good result.”

The Brewers were down two coaches, and that certainly affected their game protocol.

Pitching coach Rick Kranitz and bullpen coach Lee Tunnell were both excused to attend graduations, and Rick Tomlin, normally the minor league pitching coordinator, filled in for Kranitz.

“My fault. Miscommunication,” Roenicke said. “There’s a certain way we do things, and when Kranitz isn’t here, I didn’t go back and tell Rick Tomlin who to get up and bring in. It’s my fault.”

The Braves trailed 4-1 heading to the bottom of the sixth.

B.J. Upton hit a two-out homer, barely clearing the right-field wall, and the Braves rallied for the win the next inning. Gerald Laird also had a key hit, a run-scoring double that ricocheted off an infielder’s glove.

Jean Segura had three hits for Milwaukee and scored two runs, driven home both times by two-out hits from Jonathan Lucroy.

Alex Wood (4-5) worked a scoreless inning for the win, and Craig Kimbrel earned his 12th save.

Brandon Kintzler (1-2) took the loss, failing to retire the only batter he faced.

Chris Johnson started the Atlanta seventh with a single. Dan Uggla, in a rare start, singled to left after fouling off three pitches to keep the at-bat alive.

Kintzler took over for starter Matt Garza, but Laird ripped one off the glove of third baseman Mark Reynolds, the ball rolling into short left field. A run scored, and Laird hustled to second for a double that barely got out of the infield.

Then things really went haywire for the Brewers.

After the botched pitching change, Milwaukee pulled in the infield, hoping to cut off the tying run at the plate. Doumit foiled that strategy by lining one past the shortstop, bringing home both Uggla and Laird.

Doumit was frustrated with all the delays in the game, which dragged on for 3 hours, 36 minutes and featured three overturned replay calls, not to mention the confusion over Milwaukee’s pitching change.

“There’s a certain pace to the game,” Doumit said. “As a player, I don’t like waiting around.”

The Braves would go on to load the bases with one out, extending the rally after yet another video review. Scooter Gennett made a brilliant backhanded stop on Jason Heyward’s grounder and flipped the ball in one motion to the shortstop Segura, who came off the bag quickly to make a throw to first.

That was too late to get Heyward, and the Brewers wound up with no outs on the play when Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez challenged the call. The replay showed Segura’s foot came off the bag a split-second before he squeezed the ball in his glove.

The Braves failed to take advantage of the overturned call. Smith struck out Freddie Freeman with the bases loaded, and Rob Wooten came in to fan Justin Upton to end the threat.

It didn’t matter. Dave Carpenter worked a 1-2-3 eighth and Kimbrel worked around a hit batter to lead off the ninth, striking out the side.

Garza went 6 1-3 innings, giving up five hits and four runs.

Logan Schafer’s squeeze bunt brought in another Milwaukee run, and Khris Davis finished off Atlanta starter Aaron Harang with an RBI single in the sixth. Harang allowed nine hits and all four Brewers runs in 5 1-3 innings.

Notes: Milwaukee slugger Ryan Braun left the game in the fifth because of tightness in his right side. … Uggla also had a walk and scored two runs in only his second start since May 6. … Gavin Floyd (0-1) will go against Colorado’s Jordan Lyles (5-1) on Friday in the opener of a three-game series at Turner Field. The Brewers head to Miami, where Marco Estrada (3-2) will take the mound against Tom Koehler (4-3) of the Marlins.

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Follow Paul Newberry on Twitter at www.twitter.com/pnewberry1963

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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