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Four-run 10th lifts Marlins over Nationals 8-5

By WTOP Staff

HARVEY VALENTINE
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Washington Nationals broke out of their recent hitting slump Wednesday night against the Miami Marlins, rallying from an early 4-0 deficit and finishing with 15 hits.

They still came up short.

Casey McGehee’s fourth hit of the game drove in the go-ahead run in the 10th inning, and Reed Johnson doubled home two more as the Marlins defeated the Nationals 8-5 to sweep the rain-shortened two-game series.

“This is just a test for us, to see where we’re at mentally, see how bad we want to grind our way out of it and get back in this division,” first baseman Adam LaRoche said after Washington lost for just the second time when scoring four or more runs. “It could always be worse.”

Washington, which has lost six of seven, had rallied from a 4-0 third-inning deficit to tie the game in the seventh.

They loaded the bases with no outs in the eighth, but failed to score as Mike Dunn retired Anthony Rendon, Jayson Werth and LaRoche.

“The fact that we came back to tie it is a really good thing,” manager Matt Williams said. “The fact that we had that opportunity is a really good thing. It just didn’t happen.”

Ed Lucas singled off Jerry Blevins (2-2) to open the 10th and Christian Yelich walked. After Derek Dietrich bunted the runners over, the Nationals intentionally walked Giancarlo Stanton.

McGehee then lined a single off the base of the wall in left on a slider from Aaron Barrett, scoring Lucas..

“That’s my best pitch and I wanted him to beat me with it,” Barrett said.

Johnson then doubled home Yelich and Stanton to make it 7-4, and Donovan Solano singled home the eighth run.

Kevin Slowey (1-0) worked one inning for the win.

Wilson Ramos, who went 3 for 6, hit a solo homer to tie the game in the seventh. Nate McLouth tied a career high with four hits.

Miami starter Henderson Alvarez blanked Washington for five innings. He led 4-0, but left with elbow stiffness and the Nationals rallied against Miami’s bullpen.

Jordan Zimmermann struggled for the fourth straight game, allowing four runs — three earned — and eight hits over five innings.

In his past four starts, he has given up 15 earned runs in 22 2-3 innings and his ERA has risen from 2.92 to 4.07.

“Yeah, my stuff’s there,” Zimmermann said. “I went back and looked at the film, and I made some pretty good pitches.”

The Nationals batted around in the sixth. Singles by LaRoche and Ramos off Chris Hatcher, followed by a walk from Ian Desmond, loaded the bases.

Hatcher struck out Kevin Frandsen for the second out, but McLouth hit the first pitch he saw for a two-run double.

Denard Span hit a bouncer that could have ended the inning, but first baseman Garrett Jones threw wide of pitcher Dan Jennings at first for an error and Desmond scored to make it 4-3.

Ramos tied it when he sent a 2-0 fastball from A.J. Ramos into the Marlins’ bullpen for his first home run.

Despite two baserunning mistakes, the Marlins built a 4-0 lead.

In the first, Yelich doubled to lead off, but broke for third on a grounder to short and was thrown out.

The Marlins had first and second with no outs in the fourth when McGehee grounded a single to left. Third base coach Brett Butler held Dietrich at third, but Stanton rounded second and came halfway to third before realizing it and was tagged out.

However, Jones, Marcell Orzuna and Adeiny Hechavarria collected RBI singles, and Orzuna scored on a throwing error by Werth.

NOTES: Washington 3B Ryan Zimmerman (fractured right thumb) took live batting practice and fielded ground balls Wednesday for the first time since going on the DL April 13. … The first ballot update for the NL’s starting lineup in the All-Star game was released on Wednesday and Stanton was fourth among outfielders, trailing third-place Ryan Braun by about 20,500 votes. Washington 2B Anthony Rendon ranks fourth, well-behind leader Chase Utley. … Both teams are off Thursday. Miami opens a three-game home series Friday against Atlanta, while Washington hosts the Texas Rangers.

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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