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Arrieta, Castro lead Cubs past Phillies

By WTOP Staff

ROB MAADDI
AP Sports Writer

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Even Starlin Castro knew Roberto Hernandez didn’t hit him on purpose.

Jake Arrieta threw seven impressive innings, Castro hit a two-run homer and the Chicago Cubs beat the Philadelphia Phillies 2-1 Friday night in matchup of last-place teams.

A strange ejection occurred in the sixth inning when Hernandez was tossed by plate umpire Mark Ripperger after hitting Castro on the left arm with a fastball. There were no previous warnings, hit batters, or inside pitches. Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg also was ejected after he came out to argue.

“I don’t think he did it on purpose,” Castro said. “He’s a good friend of mine. I see him every day in the Dominican. I don’t think he would do that on purpose. He told me, ‘I’m sorry.’ It’s not on purpose. I already know. He’s not like that. He’s not that kind of person.”

The umpires didn’t see it that way.

“In our opinion he threw at the hitter,” crew chief Gary Cederstrom said.

Asked if a warning should’ve come first, Cederstrom said: “I thought the appropriate action was taken.”

Hernandez was baffled. He threw his arms up in disbelief on the mound before walking off the field to cheers from the crowd.

“I was very, very surprised,” he said. “I didn’t throw that on purpose. I wanted to continue to throw the ball down. I had two outs. I wanted to pitch into the next inning. I didn’t throw it on purpose. I wanted to keep pitching.”

Arrieta (2-1) allowed two hits and no runs, tying a career high with nine strikeouts. He didn’t give up a hit until Domonic Brown sliced a double just inside the left field line with one out in the fifth.

“I had a good mix tonight, good velocity, good movement, good location,” Arrieta said. “With those three things, you’re going to have success. It’s never easy to win and have success at a high level. But you do things the right way and learn, day in and day out, and try and get better at least one thing every time you come to the yard, you give yourself an opportunity to perform at a high level.”

The Phillies were seeking their first four-game winning streak since last June 2-6.

Hernandez (2-5) allowed two runs and three hits in 5 2-3 innings. He walked Anthony Rizzo leading off the fourth. Castro then drove his ninth homer out to left.

Jimmy Rollins led off the bottom of the ninth off Neil Ramirez with a double to tie Mike Schmidt’s franchise record of 2,234 hits. After Marlon Byrd walked with two outs, Brown hit an RBI single to right to cut it to 2-1.

But Ramirez struck out Carlos Ruiz looking to end it and earn his second save.

“Too little too late,” Sandberg said. “We just came up short at the end.”

NOTES: The Cubs activated CF Ryan Sweeney from the disabled list and placed INF/OF Emilio Bonifacio on the 15-day DL. … Phillies ace Cliff Lee threw again on Friday, but it’s uncertain when he’ll rejoin the rotation. Lee has missed four starts with an elbow strain. … Phillies setup man Mike Adams received a cortisone shot in his ailing right shoulder and is expected to start a throwing program in 10 days. … Phillies 3B Cody Asche (hamstring) began a rehab assignment at Class-A Lakewood. He could return to the lineup late next week. … Both teams wore 1964 retro uniforms. … Edwin Jackson (4-6, 4.70) goes for the Cubs against David Buchanan (1-3, 6.08) on Saturday afternoon.

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Follow Rob Maaddi on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP_RobMaaddi

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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