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King Felix gets no help as M’s fall to Rangers 1-0

By WTOP Staff

TIM BOOTH
AP Sports Writer

SEATTLE (AP) — In his past two starts, Felix Hernandez has been brilliant. He’s allowed one run and struck out 21 in more than 15 innings.

His reward for those two performances: no wins and one loss thanks to the Seattle Mariners scoring no runs to back their ace.

“We wanted to score some runs to help him out,” Seattle catcher Mike Zunino said. “They threw nine great innings against us.”

Elvis Andrus singled, stole two bases and scored on Adrian Beltre’s infield grounder in the ninth inning and the Texas Rangers did just enough against Hernandez for a 1-0 victory over the Mariners on Friday night.

Hernandez (8-2) was coming off a career-best 15 strikeout performance in his last outing against Tampa Bay. Hernandez dominated the Rays, but didn’t get the victory because Seattle’s offense failed to score during his seven innings on the mound.

An identical scenario played out against Texas. Hernandez was just as dominant — minus the strikeouts — and the Mariners again failed to provide their ace any runs.

Andrus singled with one out in the ninth, then proceeded to steal second and third base. The second stolen base came as Shin-Soo Choo walked on a 3-2 pitch from Hernandez, the final batter for Seattle’s ace.

Closer Fernando Rodney entered and got Beltre to hit a grounder into the hole at shortstop. Brad Miller fielded the ground ball and was able to get Choo at second, but Robinson Cano’s turn on the double play attempt was rushed and the throw was wide. Beltre was safe, Andrus scored and Texas got the run it needed.

“The difference was the base hit to Andrus and he stole the two bases,” Hernandez said. “That was the difference of the game.”

Seattle lost its fourth straight after being swept by the New York Yankees. It’s been a disheartening return home after a successful road trip that saw Seattle reach five games above .500, only to give most of that back.

“We’re going through a little funk right now,” Seattle manager Lloyd McClendon said. “We’ve got to fight and stay together and we will come out of this.”

At one point Friday, Hernandez retired 15 straight batters. He allowed only four hits and struck out six. The Rangers have now handed Hernandez 21 career losses. He wasn’t in the mood to find out his numbers were better this time than his last outing against Texas when he allowed three runs in six innings.

“Big deal. It was still a lousy game,” Hernandez said.

Matching Hernandez was Texas starter Nick Tepesch and a trio of relievers. Tepesch threw 6 1-3 innings, Jason Frasor finished off the seventh, Shawn Tolleson (2-1) got through the eighth and Joakim Soria pitched the ninth for his 14th save.

Tepesch faced the minimum through five innings and used just 47 pitches to set down the first 15 batters. The only batter to reach for Seattle was Zunino with a single leading off the third inning.

Zunino lined a ground-rule double into the Mariners’ bullpen leading off the sixth, the first baserunner by either team to reach second base but was left stranded at third.

Tepesch started struggling in the seventh. With two on and one out, Tepesch was lifted in favor of Frasor who struck out pinch-hitter Endy Chavez looking and Dustin Ackley swinging to end the inning.

Tolleson worked a perfect eighth to get the victory. Texas posted its 13th shutout and fourth 1-0 victory this season.

“It’s just a win. We see King Felix a lot so it’s just a win,” Texas manager Ron Washington said. “I wouldn’t put any more credence to it than what it was.”

NOTES: Seattle OF/DH Corey Hart (hamstring) hit on the field before the game for the first time since being injured on May 18. … Rangers RHP Derek Holland (knee surgery) threw live batting practice on Friday. He’s scheduled to throw another live BP session on Wednesday. … Texas LHP Joe Saunders will make his fifth start on Saturday. He pitched last season for Seattle, going 11-16 in 32 starts.

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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