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Romo at a loss following 2nd straight blown save

By WTOP Staff

MICHAEL WAGAMAN
Associated Press

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Sergio Romo was almost speechless after giving up five runs in the ninth inning Friday. The Giants’ closer was even more stunned a day later when he blew another save.

Brandon Barnes hit a two-run, inside-the-park home run off Romo to lift the Colorado Rockies to a 5-4 win and hand stumbling San Francisco its fifth loss in six games.

“I had two outs, one pitch away again … and they found a way to stay alive,” Romo said. “They got me again. What can I do?”

Romo went into the day tied for the most saves in the majors and was on the verge of notching his 21st of the season when Charlie Blackmon singled with two outs. Barnes then lined a hit to center field that San Francisco’s Angel Pagan misplayed, allowing the ball to skip to the fence as Blackmon and Barnes raced around the bases.

It marked the first time in Romo’s career that the closer had blown consecutive save opportunities. He has four blown saves overall this season.

“That’s a tough one for Sergio,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. “He was throwing the ball well. So many good things have happened to us … now, we’ve hit a bump in the road so it’s going to be important that we handle this well.”

Buster Posey’s sacrifice fly in the seventh inning had given the Giants a 4-3 lead. Posey also doubled and homered to finish with a season-high three RBIs — the most by San Francisco’s two-time All-Star in more than 11 months.

Hunter Pence hit his ninth home run of the year while Gregor Blanco had three hits for San Francisco.

It wasn’t enough to prevent the Giants’ fifth loss in six games.

Barnes is the fourth opposing player to hit an inside-the-park home run at AT&T Park.

“I saw it get by him (Pagan) and I just turned my head and kept going,” Barnes said. “My legs were getting a little heavy at third I just kept trying to grind it out.”

Rex Brothers (3-4) pitched one inning for the win and became the 76th pitcher in history to strike out the side on nine pitches. LaTroy Hawkins worked the ninth for his 13th save, although he had to wait to celebrate.

Pagan appeared to ground into a game-ending double play and several Rockies players came out of the dugout to celebrate. Bochy, who successfully overturned a call earlier in the game, again challenged the ruling. After a brief review, the umpires upheld the original call.

The Giants went into the game with the best record in the majors but were staggering on the heels of four losses in five games. They trailed late in this one, too, before Posey tied it with a two-run homer in the fifth then drove in Pagan with the go-ahead run in the seventh.

San Francisco’s bullpen couldn’t make it hold up.

Jean Machi pitched out of a two-on, two-out jam in the eighth before Romo took over in the ninth. He got two quick outs before Blackmon singled. Barnes followed with his hit to center that got by Pagan and resulted in the game-winning runs.

“It looked like a soft-serve base hit but it hit and really skipped,” Bochy said. “It just got by (Pagan).”

The Rockies scored twice off Giants starter Ryan Vogelsong in the second then took a 3-1 lead in the third following back-to-back doubles from Morneau and Josh Rutledge.

It could have been worse for Vogelsong, who needed instant replay to get out of a two-out jam in first after Rutledge appeared to leg out an infield single and load the bases. Bochy successfully challenged the call and Rutledge was ruled out to end the inning.

Posey’s two-run homer off Christian Bergman in the fifth tied it.

Bergman lasted six innings in his second major league start. The Rockies’ rookie allowed eight hits, struck out three and didn’t walk a batter.

Pence homered off Bergman in the first.

NOTES: Colorado shortstop Troy Tulowitzki was not in the starting lineup after injuring a toe running to first base on an infield single during the ninth inning of Friday’s 7-4 win. Tulowitzki pinch-hit in the ninth and flew out to center. … The Rockies also rested C Wilin Rosario after he fouled a ball that ricocheted off the ground and hit him in the face. … Giants reliever Santiago Casilla (hamstring) could be activated from the disabled list, depending on the outcome of his latest rehab appearance on Saturday. … LHP Madison Bumgarner (8-4), who pitches the series finale for San Francisco, has a 1.24 ERA over his previous four starts. RHP Juan Nicasio (5-5) takes the mound for Colorado. … Joe Torre, the executive vice president of baseball operations for MLB, and California governor Jerry Brown attended the game.

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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