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Phillies fall to Pirates 6-2, swept for 8th time

By WTOP Staff

NATE BARNES
Associated Press

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Falling behind the Pittsburgh Pirates in the first inning of the first two games of the weekend series led to losses for the Philadelphia Phillies.

Scoring in the opening frame didn’t help the sliding Phillies, either.

Pirates starter Jeff Locke got the best of his mentor A.J. Burnett on Sunday as Pittsburgh topped the Phillies 6-2 on Sunday. That finished the Pirates’ first series sweep of the season and completed the eighth sweep against Philadelphia.

The Phillies struck first in the finale of the three-game series when Marlon Byrd drove Jimmy Rollins home from second base after he reached on a throwing error by Pedro Alvarez.

But Pittsburgh answered with two runs in the bottom of the first, and Philadelphia never led again.

“It was a tough first inning,” Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said. “Getting two outs with no one on, then giving up three hits in a row.”

Pittsburgh’s pitching staff held the Phillies to six runs and 12 hits in the series, in which Philadelphia batted .135.

“I feel like we have a better offensive team than this but it hasn’t played out over the course of the season,” second baseman Chase Utley said. “We have some and too many not-so-good games.”

Philadelphia is last in the NL East, 12 games behind first-place Atlanta.

Locke gave up just three hits and a walk in eight innings as he outdueled Burnett, his former neighbor in the Pittsburgh clubhouse.

“It didn’t even feel like we were playing a Major League Baseball game,” Locke said. “We spoke really briefly before we got in the bullpen, just told each other to have fun today, go get ’em. Pound down.”

Pittsburgh had failed to finish a sweep in eight previous tries this season.

“I didn’t know we didn’t have a sweep,” Locke said. “It feels good, especially a team like those guys over there. Especially when (Marlon) Byrd and A.J. come back again.”

The Pirates (47-41) moved a season-high six games over .500, while the Phillies (37-51) fell a season-high 14 games below .500.

Locke (2-1) gave up two runs — one earned — and struck out four. He has made six straight quality starts since being recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis on June 8.

The left-hander worked mostly off of his fastball and changeup in an outing his manager Clint Hurdle called “fantastic.”

In the home first, Andrew McCutchen beat out a ground ball to shortstop with two outs after Burnett struck out the Pirates’ first two hitters. Neil Walker followed with a single.

Against his former batterymate, Pirates catcher Russell Martin hit a two-run double to right-center for a 2-1 advantage that wouldn’t have been possible without McCutchen’s hustle.

“That’s my game,” McCutchen said. “I go up, hit a ball on the ground, and I have an opportunity to do something with it. That’s what I use my legs for and that’s what I’m going to always be like.”

The Pirates added another run in the third when Josh Harrison led off with a triple that split the gap in right-center. Harrison tagged from third on a shallow fly ball by Walker to center fielder Ben Revere and scored as Revere’s throw came in offline.

Burnett (5-8) gave up three runs and five hits, walked two and struck out seven in seven innings in his return to Pittsburgh. The Pirates played a “Thank You A.J.” video on the scoreboard when Burnett took the mound in the first inning.

“The video caught me by surprise,” Burnett said. “I don’t know what to say about it. It was very moving. It was very unexpected.”

Byrd hit his 18th home run in the seventh inning to draw Philadelphia within 3-2.

Locke threw Byrd a changeup low and inside, which Byrd sent over the fence in left field.

“He got me,” Locke said. “I got ahead of him, threw a changeup, and boom, he hit it. I knew it was a home run.”

Byrd finished 2 for 4 with two RBIs and drove in half of the runs scored by the Phillies in Pittsburgh.

“He’s been very steady for us,” Sandberg said. “An everyday grinder who forces the chips in. He’s been one of our consistent bats.”

Harrison scored again in the eighth on a RBI triple by McCutchen, who was awarded third base because of fan interference following a crew chief review initiated by home plate umpire Dale Scott.

McCutchen then scored on a single by Starling Marte, and Jordy Mercer drove in another run with a sacrifice fly.

NOTES: Pedro Alvarez’s throwing error was his 18th error of the season, which leads all major league players. … Pittsburgh RHP Charlie Morton (5-9, 3.30 ERA) will oppose St. Louis RHP Adam Wainwright (1-4, 1.89 ERA) on Monday when the teams begin a three-game series at Busch Stadium. … Philadelphia LHP Cole Hamels (2-5, 2.98 ERA) will face Milwaukee RHP Marco Estrada (7-5, 4.94 ERA) as the Phillies continue their road trip on Monday.

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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