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Mets win 3rd straight, 4-1 over Phillies

By WTOP Staff

AARON BRACY
Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Phillies offense had no answer for the Mets pitching. And Philadelphia’s defense wasn’t stellar, either.

Philadelphia set a season high with 15 strikeouts against four New York pitchers and allowed an unearned run in a 4-1 defeat to the Mets on Thursday night in the opener of a rare five-game series.

Mets starter Zack Wheeler struck out nine in 6 1-3 innings and Chris Young hit a two-run homer to lead New York to its sixth straight victory at Citizens Bank Park.

“Wheeler had real good stuff and we just couldn’t pull the trigger on his fastball,” Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said. “We couldn’t get anything going.”

The series originally was scheduled for four games, but the teams will make up their April 30 rainout on Monday, which originally was a day off for both teams.

Wheeler (2-5) looked nothing like the pitcher who entered with a 4.63 ERA and one win in 10 starts this season. Mixing a fastball that hit the high 90s and a slow, knee-buckling breaking ball, the right-hander retired eight of the first 10 batters via strikeout.

Wheeler had sent down 14 straight batters until Marlon Byrd lofted the first pitch he saw with one out in the seventh over the wall in right for his seventh homer. That was the end of the evening for Wheeler, who matched his season high in innings while giving up the lone run and four hits and with no walks.

“It feels really good, obviously,” Wheeler said. “I can actually smile after a start now. I knew I had it today. I could locate all my pitches. It’s easy when you can locate all your pitches and everything’s working.”

Mets manager Terry Collins said Wheeler “pretty much took control of the game. He really was throwing well. Tonight he dominated this game.”

The Mets, who opened an 11-game road trip, matched a season best with their third straight victory.

Jenrry Mejia struck out the side in the ninth for his fifth save in as many chances. Mejia hasn’t allowed an earned run in nine relief outings since being moved to the bullpen on May 12 after making seven starts.

“The entire pitching tonight. you’re just sitting in the dugout saying, ‘Wow!'” Collins said. “Good stuff, good location, really a well-pitched game.”

David Buchanan (1-1), who was making his second career start in place of injured left-hander Cliff Lee (15-day DL, left elbow), left after giving up four runs — three earned — and seven hits with two strikeouts and walks. The righty earned the victory in his major league debut with a five-inning, two-run outing in Saturday’s 5-3 win over the Dodgers.

“I tried to battle as long as I could to get the team a win, but I couldn’t do it tonight,” Buchanan said.

Young, who entered with three hits in his last 35 at-bats, put the Mets in front 3-0 with a drive to left in the fourth.

“I wanted to go away, but it backed up and he capitalized on it,” Buchanan said.

Both Collins and Young hope it’s a sign of better things to come for Young, who entered batting .220.

“He’s got to get on track, and the home run was really big for him,” Collins said. “He’s hit some balls hard with nothing to show for it, so I think tonight’s a big game.”

Said Young, “I felt like I was aggressive all night. I felt good about the pitches I did swing at, even the outs I had. That’s a good start. Today was probably the best day I felt, not going by the results but simply the pitch selection.”

New York added an unearned run in the fifth when Curtis Granderson walked with the bases loaded in an inning that was extended by third baseman Cesar Hernandez’s throwing error. Hernandez wasn’t charged with an error later in the inning when he failed to step on third for an easy force out and instead couldn’t get Juan Lagares out on a throw to second, loading the bases to set up the run.

“We gave them five outs,” Sandberg said. “Either step on the bag or get the out at first base. It’s a little lack of experience.”

Hernandez is filling in for Cody Asche, who is on the DL with a left hamstring strain.

Ryan Howard, who hit a walkoff homer in Wednesday’s win over the Rockies, went 0 for 4 with four strikeouts. Howard entered with a hit in 12 straight games against New York, batting .417 with four homers and 13 RBIs over the stretch.

NOTES: New York C Travis d’Arnaud went 0 for 4 in his first game since being activated from the 7-day DL due to a concussion he sustained May 13. … Mets 3B David Wright went 1 for 5 with a single. His 19 career homers at Citizens Bank Park are the most of any visiting player. … Granderson went 0 for 2, extending his hitless streak to 0 for 16. … Mets RHP Rafael Montero (0-2, 4.96) opposes Philadelphia RHP A.J. Burnett (3-4, 3.51) on Friday.

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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