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Wood pitches Cubs past Phillies 3-0

By WTOP Staff

AARON BRACY
Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — It took a while, but the Chicago Cubs at last won a series away from Wrigley Field. Now, they hope to keep it going.

Travis Wood pitched hitless ball into the sixth inning and the Cubs beat the Philadelphia Phillies 3-0 Sunday, taking two of three at Citizens Bank Park.

Anthony Rizzo hit his 14th home run and Starlin Castro added three hits for Chicago.

The last-place Cubs had been 0-9-3 in road series this year, and hadn’t won a set away from Chicago since last Sept. 9-11. This was the Cubs’ first series win in Philadelphia since April 2001.

The Cubs begin a three-game trip at Miami on Monday.

“It’s good to win a series on the road,” Rizzo said. “We can take that into Miami with us.”

The Phillies finished with just three hits against Wood (7-5) and closer Neil Ramirez while being shut out for the ninth time this year.

Philadelphia manager Ryne Sandberg seemed frustrated that Philadelphia’s hitters didn’t adjust to Wood.

“The guy was pitching up in the zone and we were hitting flyballs,” Sandberg said. “For us not to make an adjustment and not get on top of some of those balls, those are hittable balls.”

Wood didn’t allow a hit until Ben Revere’s one-out single in the sixth. He gave up three hits in eight innings while striking out six and walking three.

“I felt really good today,” Wood said. “The cutter inside was working well, and they were kind of jamming themselves.”

The right-hander said he was aware of the potential no-hitter.

“You always know about it,” he said. “Besides, a guy in the stands let me know about it.”

Ramirez got his third save.

A.J. Burnett (4-6) gave up three runs and eight hits in eight innings. He moved past Hall of Famer Eddie Plank into 50th place on the career strikeout list with his fifth-inning fanning of Luis Valbuena, giving him 2,252.

Center fielder Ryan Sweeney kept Wood’s pitching line scoreless when he caught Chase Utley’s drive to the warning track to end the eighth, finishing on his knees for the grab.

It was that kind of day for Philadelphia’s tepid offense, which ranks near the bottom of the league in several offensive categories.

“Our pitching has kept us in games,” Sandberg said. “On the offensive side, it’s about picking things up on offense.”

Burnett, though, didn’t blame his teammates for the defeat.

“Our guys ain’t going out there trying to get out,” he said. “He came out and made good pitches against us all game. It’s not frustrating on my part because I have a job to do.”

The Cubs got all of the offense they needed in the first inning.

Rizzo staked Wood to an early lead with a solo homer in the first. It marked the eighth straight game in which the Cubs have hit a home run at Citizens Bank Park, totaling 12 drives in that span.

“He’s hit quite a few home runs and some big ones, too,” Cubs manager Rick Renteria said.

The Cubs tacked on a run in the third on Castro’s RBI single and then made it 3-0 in the sixth on Nate Schierholtz’s RBI double.

A day after passing Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt to become the Phillies’ all-time leader with 2,235 hits, Jimmy Rollins went 1 for 4.

Philadelphia threatened in the sixth when Rollins singled to put runners on first and second with one out, but Utley and Marlon Byrd popped out.

The Phillies won a challenge in the third inning when first-base umpire Gary Cederstrom’s safe call of Rizzo was overturned after video review.

NOTES: Phillies hard-throwing rookie Ken Giles, called up last Sunday, hit 100 mph on the radar gun with three pitches during a scoreless inning of relief in the eighth. … Castro improved to 13-for-29 lifetime off Burnett. … To commemorate the 1964 club that nearly reached the World Series, the Phillies wore throwback uniforms from that season. Hall of Famer Jim Bunning, who threw the only perfect game on Father’s Day in major league history for the Phillies against the Mets 50 years ago, tossed out the ceremonial first pitch. And, in keeping with the ’60s theme, Art Garfunkel sank “God Bless America” during the seventh-inning stretch. … Philadelphia LHP Cole Hamels (2-3, 3.07) opposes Braves RHP Julio Teheran (6-4, 2.41) in Atlanta on Monday night. … Chicago RHP Jason Hammel (6-4, 2.81) will face RHP Tom Koehler (5-5, 3.68) in Miami on Monday night.

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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