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Bruce HR breaks slump, sends Reds over Brewers 4-2

By WTOP Staff

JOE KAY
AP Baseball Writer

CINCINNATI (AP) — Jay Bruce had hit the ball hard twice, only to see the worst slump of his career get deeper. He finally ended it with a hit that nobody was going to take away.

Bruce emerged from his 0-for-26 skid with a tiebreaking homer in the eighth inning on Sunday, rallying Mat Latos and the Cincinnati Reds over the Milwaukee Brewers 4-2.

Bruce flied out to the wall in center field and lined out to center earlier in the game, so he took a little confidence into his game-changing at-bat.

“I knew I wasn’t going to go 0-for-my-career,” Bruce said. “I’d been making hard contact. I really didn’t feel like I was 0-for-so-much.”

The Reds gained a game on the NL Central leaders by taking two of three in their series, moving to six back. Cincinnati has won 10 of 15 overall.

“That could have easily gone the other way,” Reds manager Bryan Price said. “We really didn’t want to lose ground on this team.”

The Brewers have lost five of six but still have the NL’s best record and a comfortable lead.

Bruce hit a two-run shot with one out off left-hander Will Smith (1-2), who took over for Yovani Gallardo. Smith hadn’t allowed a homer to a left-handed batter all season, holding them to a .143 average.

The matchup with the slumping Bruce seemed to favor Milwaukee in every way.

“It’s a crazy game,” Bruce said. “You can’t be surprised by anything that happens in the game of baseball.”

Smith got ahead 1-2 in the count, then threw a fastball that was up. Bruce pulled it to right field, the part of Great American Ball Park closest to the Ohio River.

“He’s given a lot of people trouble,” Price said of Smith. “He made a mistake. You do that and he’s going to hit the ball in that creek out there.”

A replay review overturned Ramon Santiago’s inside-the-park homer in the Reds second.

A fan reached his mitt onto the field and hit right fielder Logan Schafer’s glove as he tried to catch the fly ball in front of the wall. The umpires initially ruled the ball in play, and Santiago circled the bases as Schafer and the ball fell to the ground.

Following a 3-minute, 46-second review, Santiago was ruled out because of the fan’s interference.

Latos (2-1) allowed two runs and four hits in a season-high eight innings. Jonathan Broxton pitched the ninth for his sixth save in eight chances. Closer Aroldis Chapman wasn’t available because he slightly pulled a hamstring while running in the outfield before the game.

Both teams were missing stars.

Brewers right fielder Ryan Braun was sidelined by a stiff back that forced him to leave Saturday’s game. Manager Ron Roenicke said the problem doesn’t appear to be series.

Reds first baseman Joey Votto got a day to rest his bothersome left leg. Votto missed 23 games with a strained muscle above his left knee and has batted .250 without a homer since his return. The muscle isn’t expected to heal fully until after the season.

Latos made his fifth start since recovering from torn knee cartilage and a strained pitching forearm that sidelined him until June 14. He let a 2-0 lead slip away.

Schafer tripled and scored on Scooter Gennett’s groundout in the sixth. Schafer also doubled off Latos with two outs in the eighth and came around on Rickie Weeks’ pinch-hit single, making Latos smack his glove in frustration.

In his last three starts, Latos has allowed a total of four runs in 22 innings, showing he’s fully recovered from the injuries.

Devin Mesoraco had three hits, including an RBI single in the first inning off Gallardo, who gave up two runs in seven innings.

Gallardo was coming off his worst start of the season: 10 hits, eight runs in five innings of a 10-4 loss to Colorado last Sunday. He settled in after a rough first inning. Bruce grounded into a forceout that drove in a run, and Mesoraco’s single made it 2-0.

NOTES: The Brewers open a seven-game homestand against Philadelphia and St. Louis on Monday. Marco Estrada (7-5) faces Cole Hamels (2-5). The Reds continue their homestand with the start of a five-game series against the Cubs. Mike Leake (6-7), who has won his last three starts against Chicago, faces Edwin Jackson (5-8). … The Reds put C Brayan Pena on the paternity list and called up C Tucker Barnhart for his third stint this season. … RHP Raisel Iglesias is guaranteed $26.5 million under his seven-year contract with the Reds and can earn an extra $500,000 this year between his salary of $1,016,666 and a $250,000 reporting bonus if he reports to a minor league affiliate and receives U.S. work authorizations by Aug. 15. He gets a $5 million signing bonus, of which $1.5 million due when the contract is approved by the commissioner’s office, $1 million on Nov. 15, $1 million on Nov. 15, 2015, and $1.5 million on Nov. 15, 2016. He gets a maximum $500,000 this year between salary and reporting bonus, and salaries of $1 million next year, $2.5 million in 2016, $3.5 million in 2017, $4.5 million in 2018 and $5 million in each of the following two seasons.

___

Follow Joe Kay on Twitter: http://twitter.com/apjoekay

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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