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Pirates score 3 in 7th to beat Dodgers 6-3

By WTOP Staff

JOE RESNICK
Associated Press

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Brandon League was the scourge of the Dodger Stadium boo birds last season by virtue of his 5.30 ERA out of the bullpen. He turned his fortunes around over the past month with a career-best streak of 22 innings without allowing an earned run. That ended Thursday night with a jolt against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The Pirates scored three runs against the right-hander in the seventh inning after losing a baserunner to a video reversal, and handed the Dodgers a 6-3 loss. It was just their third against Pittsburgh in their last 20 meetings at Chavez Ravine. Former Dodger Russell Martin helped lead the way with one of two home runs given up by starter Dan Haren.

Starling Marte drew a leadoff walk in the seventh and appeared to have stolen second — at least to umpire Eric Cooper, who called him safe. Dodgers manager Don Mattingly challenged the ruling, which was overturned after a short delay.

But Clint Barmes followed with his third straight single, advanced on the pitcher Gerrit Cole’s sacrifice bunt and scored on Josh Harrison’s second RBI single. Harrison continued to second on the throw to the plate and came home on Neil Walker’s single, and pinch-hitter Gabby Sanchez greeted former Pirates starter Paul Maholm with an RBI double.

“I know it’s been a while since anything like this has happened,” League (1-2) said. “It’s not discouraging. It just stinks having your name next to the ‘L.’ As a reliever, you go day to day and you’re taught to forget quickly. It’s nice to know your manager keeps running you out there regardless of the results, but in the end, you’ve still got to get the job done.”

The three runs charged to League ended a stretch of 16 appearances and 22 innings in which he did not allow an earned run.

“We kind of got the game where we wanted — to the back end of the bullpen — and it didn’t go very well from there,” Mattingly said. “Brandon’s been pretty good, but they squared some balls up. We have to give him a hiccup now and then. We have to look at the body of work.”

Haren allowed three runs and eight hits in six innings with two strikeouts and no walks. In his four starts with Tim Federowicz behind the plate, Haren has a 3.04 ERA and has given up 28 hits in 23 2-3 innings.

“We really faced a tough pitcher, and I wasn’t able to hold them down,” Haren said. “I’ve been mediocre here for a few starts now. Strikeouts have kind of come and gone for me. I got a lot last game. But when that many balls get put into play, bad things have to happen.”

Martin’s third homer of the season landed halfway up the left field pavilion, giving the Pirates a 3-2 lead with two outs in the sixth. It also ended a string of nine consecutive games at Dodger Stadium in which Pittsburgh scored no more than two runs.

Yasiel Puig, who reached base safely for the 30th consecutive game, led off the bottom half with his second double of the game and scored on a single by Hanley Ramirez.

Andre Ethier lined an 0-1 pitch inside first base with one out in the first for his second triple in seven at-bats, after getting only four in his previous 2,180 at-bats since the start of the 2010 season. Puig drove him in with a bloop double to right field.

Alvarez tied it in the second with a two-out drive to right field for his 10th homer, tying Walker for the team lead. Gordon regained the lead for the Dodgers in the bottom half with a two-out RBI single, but Harrison got the Pirates even again in the fifth with a two-out RBI single.

Cole (5-3) allowed three runs and six hits over 6 1-3 innings in his first career appearance at Chavez Ravine. The right-hander helped set up two runs with sacrifice bunts in the opener of a four-game series against the defending NL West champions.

Cole was lifted after walking pinch-hitter Chone Figgins with his 88th pitch, but Tony Watson retired speedster Dee Gordon on a double-play grounder with his first pitch. Mark Melancon worked a perfect eighth and Jason Grilli got three outs for his sixth save.

NOTES: Dodgers RHP Chad Billingsley, who hasn’t pitched for them since April 15, 2013, and is recovering from Tommy John surgery, threw 30 pitches Thursday in a two-inning simulated game. … Mattingly said that it would be “overly hopeful” to expect 3B Juan Uribe (right hamstring strain) to be reinstated from the 15-day DL when he is eligible to come off on June 5. … Gordon stole second and third in the second inning, increasing his major league-leading total to 32. … Cole’s only other outing against the Dodgers was June 16, 2013, when he won a 6-3 decision over Zack Greinke.

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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