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Wheeler whacked around, Mets lose 8-5 to Oakland

By WTOP Staff

MIKE FITZPATRICK
AP Sports Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Zack Wheeler followed up the best outing of his brief career with his worst.

Yoenis Cespedes hit a three-run double, Brandon Moss had a two-run homer and the Oakland Athletics jumped all over an ineffective Wheeler in the first two innings of an 8-5 win over the New York Mets on Wednesday night.

“He struggled with all of his pitches,” manager Terry Collins said. “I have never seen him get hit that hard.”

Coming off a three-hitter in a 1-0 win at Miami last Thursday, his first complete game in the majors, the 24-year-old Wheeler had command problems right away. He missed badly with his first two pitches in the first inning to Moss, who drove the next one deep into the second deck in right field for his 18th home run.

Wheeler (3-8) issued a leadoff walk to Josh Reddick in the second and another free pass after Coco Crisp’s RBI single. Cespedes followed by lining a bases-loaded double down the left-field line to make it 6-0.

Convinced the A’s were picking up signs, Wheeler called catcher Travis d’Arnaud out to the mound and struck out the next two batters.

“They were onto my signs in the second. It’s my fault for not catching onto it sooner. The next few pitches after we changed them up were good. When somebody turns on a 96 mph fastball, they probably knew it was coming,” Wheeler said. “It was just a bad outing.”

When the Mets loaded the bases in the bottom half, Wheeler was lifted for a pinch-hitter. He was tagged for six hits and a career-high six earned runs in two innings, the shortest of his 33 career starts.

“I’m already over this, to be honest with you. It’s time to get ready for my next start,” Wheeler said. “They just had me, that’s all.”

After the Mets scored 21 runs in their previous two games, Oakland rebounded from its most lopsided loss of the season to split the two-game interleague series — boosting the best record in baseball to 48-30.

Wheeler’s dud ended a weeklong run of stingy starts by New York pitchers

“He just didn’t bounce back. He didn’t have it going tonight,” Collins said. “He left a lot of balls in the middle of the plate.”

Crisp homered and had three hits as the AL West leaders built an eight-run cushion for Brad Mills (1-0), who took a shutout into the seventh for his first major league victory since July 8, 2012, for the Los Angeles Angels.

Pinch-hitter Lucas Duda chased Mills with a three-run homer in the seventh.

“It was all location. It was the right pitch selection, just he hung the cutter-slider thing that he throws,” A’s catcher John Jaso said. “He knows it. Duda knows it, too.”

Chris Young connected for a two-run shot in the eighth, his third home run in two nights.

Curtis Granderson added three hits for the Mets, who had won three straight and five of six. It was their sixth three-game winning streak of the season, but they haven’t won four in a row since July 7-10 last year.

Sean Doolittle struck out all three hitters in the ninth for his 11th save, extending his scoreless streak to 25 1-3 innings. He has retired 37 of his last 38 batters — and racked up 53 strikeouts against one walk in 37 innings this season.

Crisp hit a solo homer in the fourth off Dana Eveland.

NOTES: After the game, New York optioned backup infielder Wilmer Flores to Triple-A Las Vegas to make room for CF Juan Lagares (right ribcage), who will be activated from the disabled list Thursday before the Mets open a four-game series in Pittsburgh. Lagares was unable to play Wednesday on his rehab assignment because Double-A Binghamton was rained out. … RHP Daisuke Matsuzaka (3-1, 2.68 ERA) starts Thursday against Pirates RHP Vance Worley (1-0, 1.98). … 3B David Wright had an RBI in his previous seven games, matching the best streak of his career. … Granderson has reached safely in a career-best 33 consecutive 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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