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Seattle can’t finish sweep of Boston, fall 5-4

By WTOP Staff

TIM BOOTH
AP Sports Writer

SEATTLE (AP) — From Lloyd McClendon’s viewpoint, it’s because Seattle’s Hisashi Iwakuma has pitched with such consistency that his last two performances seem so shocking.

“The problem is he’s been so good it hasn’t happened before,” McClendon said after Iwakuma lasted just four innings in Seattle’s 5-4 loss to Boston on Wednesday night. “It seems like something weird but it happens to everybody. He’ll be ready for his next start.”

Iwakuma was knocked around again and has given up 10 earned runs in just nine innings in his last two outings. This time it was Boston slugger David Ortiz doing the damage with a two-run homer in the first — No. 449 for his career — and a line drive RBI single in the third.

Iwakuma (5-4) has been bothered by a sore neck. He gave up eight hits and five earned runs to Boston and could not record an out in the fifth before getting pulled. But he would not attribute his poor performances to the neck discomfort.

“I do feel it but it is not effecting my pitching at all,” Iwakuma said through an interpreter. “I’m responsible for my last two starts and I need to reflect on what I’ve done wrong and prepare for the next one.”

Seattle saw its five-game winning streak snapped, but was nearly able to keep it going despite Iwakuma’s struggles. Kyle Seager and Mike Zunino both homered in the second inning, Brad Miller added a solo shot in the eighth and Seattle had the tying run at second base in the ninth but couldn’t come up with one more hit.

“We’ve done a good job winning games late but this was one we just didn’t come through with,” Seattle’s Dustin Ackley said.

Seager continued his tear at home with his 12th home run of the season — 11th at Safeco Field — leading off the second against Boston starter Clay Buchholz. Logan Morrison followed with a single and Zunino lined his 11th homer to give Seattle a 3-2 lead. But that was about all the Mariners could do against Buchholz.

Endy Chavez and James Jones led off the sixth with singles, but Buchholz (3-4) got a shallow fly ball from Robinson Cano and Seager grounded into an inning-ending double play.

Miller homered on the first pitch of the eighth inning from Buchholz, cutting the deficit to 5-4. After Jonny Gomes made a diving catch of Stefen Romero’s liner, Buchholz was pulled.

Andrew Miller entered and struck out pinch-hitters Willie Bloomquist and Cole Gillespie to end the eighth. Koji Uehara pitched the ninth for his 16th save despite allowing two runners and Boston was able to avoid being swept.

“They made me work hard,” Buchholz said. “I knew they were swinging. That’s about the most aggressive team that I’ve pitched to in my career. For the number of pitches that I threw that was a grinding, stressful outing knowing I can’t make a mistake.”

The Mariners were able to stay close late because of five shutout innings from relievers Tom Wilhelmsen and Brandon Maurer. They allowed just three hits and struck out seven.

“They threw the ball tremendous. I don’t want those guys overshadowed tonight,” McClendon said.

Ortiz plunked a two-run shot off the windows of the cafe in right field at Safeco Field for a 2-0 lead, his 18th of the season. He drove in another run in the third on a line drive that barely cleared the glove of Romero in right field.

Ortiz’s big hits backed Buchholz’s return to the Boston rotation. After getting knocked around in the second, Buchholz avoided problems. He retired 11 of 12 during one stretch and threw just 76 pitches in 7 1-3 innings.

Buchholz won for the first time since May 2. He had been on the disabled list since May 27 with a hyperextended left knee and after two rehab starts in the minors was brought back to the Red Sox’s rotation.

NOTES: Ortiz is tied for 36th on the all-time home run list with Jeff Bagwell and Vladimir Guerrero. … Boston RHP Brandon Workman will start Friday’s opener in New York against the Yankees. … Maurer was recalled from Triple-A Tacoma earlier Wednesday to work out of the bullpen. He was a starter earlier in the season.

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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