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Phillies beat Marlins 5-3 in 14 innings

By WTOP Staff

AARON BRACY
Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The bullpen gave the Phillies’ offense plenty of chances, and Chase Utley finally came through.

Utley hit a two-run home run in the 14th inning, lifting Philadelphia to a 5-3 victory over the Miami Marlins on Thursday night.

“I tried to square one up, go home,” Utley said.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Giancarlo Stanton and Marcell Ozuna homered for Miami. The Marlins managed just two hits from the ninth inning on, however.

After the Phillies squandered chances to score in the 10th, 11th and 12th innings, Jimmy Rollins led off the 14th with an infield single. Utley followed by driving an 0-2 pitch from Chris Hatcher (0-1) deep into the seats in right field.

Utley was mobbed at home plate by his smiling teammates and met with a pie in the face while giving a TV interview afterward. The game lasted 4 hours, 41 minutes and the teams combined to use 13 pitchers.

Justin De Fratus (2-0) pitched two scoreless innings as part of an impressive display by the Philadelphia bullpen. De Fratus, Mario Hollands, Ken Giles, Antonio Bastardo, Jonathan Papelbon and Jake Diekman combined to pitch seven scoreless innings of three-hit relief after Phillies starter Cole Hamels left.

“The bullpen was great (and) really kept the game in check and gave us a chance for Chase’s big swing at the end,” Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said. “I just think they’re on a roll as a group. They found their niche and they’re comfortable with that. I think they’re just feeding off each other. (There’s) competition within themselves down there.”

Hamels also praised the relief corps.

“It’s a very positive position that we have in knowing that when you give the ball over to the bullpen they’re going to shut it down and either solidify a win or keep you in the game so you can win,” he said.

Hamels gave up three runs on the solo homers and left after allowing seven hits, striking out seven and walking none in seven innings. It was the 10th straight start Hamels pitched seven innings or more; he is 2-2 in those outings due to a lack of run support. The left-hander entered with an MLB-best 1.66 ERA over his last nine outings, but the Phillies have scored three runs or less in 10 of his 13 starts this season.

Overall, Hamels is 2-4.

Saltalamacchia’s homer to left field leading off the third staked Miami to a 1-0 lead. Stanton went deep to start the fourth before Philadelphia got a run back in the bottom of the inning on Carlos Ruiz’s sacrifice fly. The Phillies tied it in the fifth on Utley’s RBI single.

But the leadoff homer hurt Hamels again in the seventh when Ozuna started the inning by clearing the fence in left to make it 3-2.

“It’s a situation where when you get behind in the count, especially to all three of those hitters, they’re very good and definitely have power,” Hamels said. “When you make mistakes, they’re going to hit it a long way. I really don’t want to walk guys. I really want them to earn their way on, and obviously they earned their way around the bases.”

The Phillies got a gift run in the seventh off reliever Bryan Morris when first baseman Jeff Baker booted Rollins’ grounder that should have ended the inning. Baker’s error allowed Domonic Brown to score from third.

Brown singled pinch-hitting for Hamels to start the inning. He wasn’t in the starting lineup for a defensive gaffe, his second in three nights, in Wednesday’s 3-2 Marlins win when he misplayed Ozuna’s fly ball in left field.

“It was a routine play, I just messed it up,” Baker said. “I knocked it down and I should’ve just picked it right up and throw to first. “

Marlins right-hander Tom Koehler was in line for the victory before Baker’s miscue after giving up two runs on seven hits in six innings with six strikeouts and no walks.

“We had a lot of great efforts pitching-wise and guys were battling to the end,” Marlins manager Mike Redmond said. “It was just that we couldn’t get that big hit and they got it.”

NOTES: The teams split the four-game set, and the Marlins remained winless in four-game series in Philadelphia. The Phillies have won eight of the series and the teams have split five. … Miami’s Casey McGehee extended his road hitting streak to 17 games with a fourth-inning single. … The Phillies open a four-game series against Atlanta on Friday night when RHP Kyle Kendrick (3-7, 4.20) opposes Braves RHP Julio Teheran (6-5, 2.41).

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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