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Puig, Dodgers lose to Mets 5-3

By WTOP Staff

HOWIE RUMBERG
AP Sports Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Yasiel Puig wowed the Mets crowd with his genius in the field then made the fans even happier with two frustrating mental lapses on the bases.

Puig made a sensational catch but ran into two costly double plays, and the Dodgers made two more miscues that helped end Zack Greinke’s remarkable runs-allowed streak in a 5-3 loss to the New York Mets on Thursday night.

Puig was doubled off second base on an infield fly with one out in the sixth, then in the seventh he was doubled off second when rookie Eric Campbell made his own spectacular diving catch on Hanley Ramirez’s line drive.

“Being Yasiel’s on the aggressive end, I think what we see is a great player,” Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. “The catch he makes in right-center and the things he tries to do, and then we see that same aggressiveness … I’m not sure what he was thinking with the infield fly. … On the other one, I think we just have to be a little bit more cautious.”

Puig ran from his position in right field to deep right-center to make a diving backhanded catch on Wilmer Flores’ drive in the second inning. The dynamic Cuban landed on his twisted glove hand, held onto the ball and threw a laser to first that nearly doubled off the runner.

“That’s one of the best catches I’ve ever seen,” Campbell said. “That was crazy.”

Greinke’s stretch of 21 straight starts allowing two or fewer runs ended. A mark that hasn’t been matched since at least 1914 was done in by some sloppy play.

“Just in my experience, we’ve played incredible defense when I’m pitching throughout the years,” Greinke said, “so, if someone makes one mistake in one game, you can’t really say too much.”

Dodgers center fielder Matt Kemp bobbled Curtis Granderson’s drive in the first inning to right-center, allowing Granderson to take third base on a double in a 12-pitch at-bat. Granderson then scored on Campbell’s sacrifice fly.

In the fifth, third baseman Justin Turner failed to glove Daniel Murphy’s slow grounder that allowed Jonathon Niese to score for a 3-1 lead.

Niese (3-3) reached on a well-struck RBI double to right-center following Anthony Recker’s double to a similar spot.

Greinke was lifted after five, yielding four hits, three runs — one earned — two walks and four Ks. He has allowed two earned runs or fewer in 22 games, also a record.

“It was OK at first and then just got worse in the second inning and never really got back on track completely,” Greinke said.

The Dodgers tied it in the seventh 3-all when Turner hit his first homer with the Dodgers after spending parts of four seasons with the Mets after Niese walked Scott Van Slyke.

But Juan Lagares had a tiebreaking RBI single off Chris Perez (0-2) in the seventh for New York, which won for just the sixth time in 20 games this month and avoided a three-game sweep.

Granderson tripled in a run in the eighth for a 5-3 lead.

The Dodgers had two chances spoiled by Puig’s adventurous running.

In the sixth, Niese walked Chone Figgins, playing in place of Dee Gordon, leading off. Los Angeles put runners on first and second when Murphy, the second baseman, dropped Wright’s force attempt on Puig’s grounder– the call was upheld by replay. But Niese escaped unscathed when Puig ran into an out on an infield fly gone awry.

Ramirez hit a high popup to second base. Murphy backed up under the ball but appeared to lose it in the lights. When the ball fell, Murphy hesitated and Puig jogged into second. Apparently thinking he was forced out, Puig wandered off second and was tagged out for the double play.

“I didn’t actually see the umpire give the signal,” Puig said through a translator. “I felt it was a little bit too late and, by that time, I was already off the base. I thought it was going to be a double play and I was already off in that situation.”

Puig hit a one-out double in the eight off the base of the wall in center field. But he took off on Ramirez’s line drive to left-center that Campbell, playing left field for the first time in his major league career, caught with a full out dive. Campbell easily doubled off Puig.

NOTES: Jenrry Mejia pitched the ninth for his second save.. … Mattingly said RHP Chad Billingsley (elbow surgery, 60-day DL) is nearing rehab games again. Mattingly did not have a date for when he would go out, tough. Billingsley’s recovery from surgery was setback by tendinitis. … Up next: The Dodgers head to Philadelphia on Friday and the Mets play host to the Arizona Diamondbacks.

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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