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Nationals waste chances in 3-1 loss to Pirates

By WTOP Staff

WILL GRAVES
AP Sports Writer

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Washington Nationals rookie pitcher Blake Treinen didn’t have the added pressure of facing a Cy Young winner in his second major league start.

Battling his own control issues proved to be problem enough.

Struggling to locate his blazing sinker, Treinen endured some growing pains in a 3-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday night. The right-hander gave up two runs on 5 2-3 innings, striking out four and walking five, with both walks turning into Pittsburgh runs.

“I wasted a lot of pitches,” Treinen said. “I’ve got to cut down on the walks and the try to keep us in the game better by getting out of the situations I’ve been getting myself into.”

Treinen (0-2) retired the first eight batters he faced before running into trouble. He walked Pirates starter Edinson Volquez with two outs in the third, and Volquez came around to score when Treinen hit Andrew McCutchen with an 80 mph changeup. A leadoff walk to Josh Harrison in the fifth ended with Harrison scoring on a sharp single up the middle by McCutchen.

“It was nice to see him go out there and compete,” Washington manager Matt Williams said. “We took him to 100 pitches and he was fine. He threw some good breaking balls and gave us a chance to win but we just didn’t have much offense tonight.”

Ian Desmond hit his eighth homer of the season for the Nationals, but Washington left 10 runners on base. The Nationals have lost three of four.

“There are times during the year where you’re not to score a lot of runs and we’re going through one of those times now, but the runs will come,” Desmond said. “We’ve got too many good hitters in this lineup not to score runs over the long haul.”

Volquez (2-4) limited Washington to just three hits over six innings, helped in part by a pair of spectacular defensive plays. Harrison went flat out to rob Wilson Ramos’ shot to the gap in right-center leading off the ninth and McCutchen made a sliding grab on a sinking liner Anthony Rendon to end the game.

“Our approach was fine,” Williams said. “They made some really nice plays. That happens. It’s big league baseball. They get paid to do that.”

Volquez had been a pleasant surprise during the season’s first month, but scuffled through his previous four starts, going 0-3 with a 10.19 ERA as part of a slide that left Pittsburgh well off the pace in the NL Central a year after making the franchise’s first postseason appearance in more than two decades.

Pirates manager Clint Hurdle wondered if Volquez — who led the National League in walks per nine innings last season — was suddenly throwing too many strikes.

The former All-Star did a better job mixing location and speed against the Nationals. His only real miscue came on a 2-0 fastball in the fourth that Desmond sent into the seats in center field that briefly tied the game at 1.

Treinen, who faced Clayton Kershaw in his previous major league start, wasn’t quite as crisp. He looked stunned after hitting McCutchen.

“It’s frustrating,” Treinen said. “It really bothers me. The last thing you want to do is hit someone with the bases loaded.”

Washington loaded the bases in the eighth off Tony Watson, but the left-hander retired Scott Hairston on a fly to shallow left field to get out of it and Mark Melancon earned his eighth save despite putting two runners on in the ninth.

“That’s what we’re known for, just playing routine baseball, not doing anything too out of the ordinary,” McCutchen said. “(Just) getting in scoring position, getting some runs home and having pitching shut it down for us.”

NOTES: The Pirates claimed right-handed reliever Josh Wall off waivers from the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday and assigned him to Triple-A Indianapolis. Wall is 1-1 with a 15.15 ERA in 15 career major league games. To make room for Wall on the 40-man roster, the Pirates designated RHP Phil Irwin for assignment. … Nationals 1B Adam LaRoche went 0 for 2 in a rehab start for Class A Potomac on Thursday night. LaRoche has been on the disabled list since May 10 with a strained right quadriceps. LaRoche is eligible to come off the DL on Sunday. … The series continues Friday night when Washington’s Jordan Zimmerman (3-1, 3.70 ERA) faces Pittsburgh’s Charlie Morton (0-6, 3.45).

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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