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Cashner coughs up rare lead, Padres lose to Mets

By WTOP Staff

MIKE FITZPATRICK
AP Sports Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Andrew Cashner gets handed a lead so rarely, it was almost as though he didn’t know how to hold it.

Bobby Abreu went 4 for 4 with two RBIs and Bartolo Colon pitched four-hit ball into the eighth inning as the New York Mets turned to a pair of 40-somethings to beat Cashner and the San Diego Padres 6-2 on Friday night.

“Couldn’t stop the two-out hits,” Cashner said.

Abreu scored twice in the rain-delayed opener of a three-game series between fourth-place teams struggling to score. Colon (6-5) set down 18 straight batters and improved to 4-0 with a 1.78 ERA in his last five starts, sending the Mets to only their second victory in 10 games.

Rene Rivera hit a two-run homer, but Cashner (2-6) failed to preserve a 2-0 edge for the Padres, who have dropped five straight and nine of 11.

“I felt good,” Cashner said. “I thought I came out executing early, kind of lost my command from the second through the fifth.”

The hard-throwing Cashner, who came in with a 2.13 ERA, has lost five straight decisions. He gave up four runs and eight hits over six innings in his second start since spending more than three weeks on the disabled list with a sore right elbow.

“Cashner’s stuff was good. It wasn’t quite as crisp as his last outing,” Padres manager Bud Black said. “His last outing, commanded the fastball much better than he did tonight. He got some balls up out over the plate a little bit too often. They took advantage of some.”

The 41-year-old Colon had uncharacteristic trouble with his control at the start, following a rain delay that lasted 1 hour, 56 minutes. He walked his first batter and gave up Yonder Alonso’s leadoff single in the second before Rivera connected for his fourth home run.

“I got a little mad. I was meaning to throw that pitch outside and I just went in a little too much, so that really got me fired up,” Colon said through a translator.

The home run gave Cashner an uncommon 2-0 lead — the Padres had scored only once in his previous 33 innings. He entered 4-8 in his past 17 outings dating to last season despite a sparkling 1.72 ERA.

Colon, however, quickly recovered and retired his next 18 batters until Alexi Amarista opened the eighth with a double.

“I’ve known Bart for a long time and at times, you’ll see him get stronger as the game goes on. I think you saw that tonight,” Black said. “He held his velocity throughout the game, even into the eighth inning.”

After throwing a called third strike past pinch-hitter Tommy Medica with his 118th pitch, Colon was lifted. He walked off the mound to a warm ovation and softly clapped his hands.

Vic Black retired cleanup man Carlos Quentin with the bases loaded to end the inning.

Batting fourth in place of Curtis Granderson (calf), the 40-year-old Abreu hit a leadoff double in the second and scored on Taylor Teagarden’s two-out single.

Abreu singled in the fourth and Lucas Duda tied it 2-all on a two-out double just beyond the reach of diving center fielder Will Venable. Matt den Dekker blooped a ground-rule double that put New York ahead.

Abreu added RBI singles in the fifth and seventh. Slumping star David Wright had a long sacrifice fly in the seventh.

It was the first four-hit game for Abreu, who did not play in the majors last season, since May 30, 2011, with the Angels at Kansas City.

“I made two good pitches to him,” Cashner said. “He’s a good hitter, a professional hitter. Couldn’t get him out.”

NOTES: The Padres were awaiting MRI results on LHP Robbie Erlin, on the DL with a sore elbow. … San Diego RHP Jesse Hahn will be recalled from Double-A San Antonio to make his second major league start Saturday. Hahn was a high school teammate of injured Mets ace Matt Harvey in Groton, Connecticut, about a 2-hour drive from Citi Field, and expects to have family and friends in the stands. … The Padres signed first-round draft pick Trea Turner, a shortstop selected No. 13 overall out of North Carolina State. San Diego also inked OF Michael Gettys (second round) and RHP Zech Lemond (third round). The team has signed 22 of its 40 draft picks.

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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