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Mikolas falters as Rangers fall to Astros 12-7

By WTOP Staff

SCHUYLER DIXON
AP Sports Writer

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Miles Mikolas has been in the major leagues a little too long to be considered yet another young Texas starter.

The 25-year-old right-hander still showed some of the same growing pains in his second trip to the mound for the Rangers.

Mikolas allowed six straight hits in a six-run second inning, Houston’s Jon Singleton homered among three hits and drove in four runs and the Astros snapped a seven-game losing streak with a 12-7 victory over the Rangers on Monday night.

A reliever for parts of the past two seasons with San Diego, Mikolas faltered in his second career start. He was strong for five innings before fading in the sixth last week in Baltimore. He threw strikes again — getting five strikeouts without a walk — but gave up 12 hits and nine runs in 3 1-3 innings.

Marwin Gonzalez had a bases-loaded triple after five consecutive singles in the second, and Singleton knocked Mikolas (0-1) out of the game with a towering flyball that landed two rows above the Texas bullpen in right-center for a three-run shot and a 9-2 lead in the fourth.

“There were strikes, but you have to throw quality strikes,” Rangers manager Ron Washington said. “They just found a way to put the ball in play and find the grass out there. And then Gonzalez was the big blow.”

Singleton ended an 0-for-10 slump that had dropped the 22-year-old rookie’s average to .168 with his second three-hit game of the season and helped boost the Astros to 4-3 this season against their Texas rival.

Houston was 2-17 against the Rangers last year, in its first season in the AL West.

“When you look at the work which he’s putting in day in and day out, it’s good to see him get some results on the field,” manager Bo Porter said. “He has a chance to be a really special middle-of-the-lineup bat for a long time in the big leagues.”

Jarred Cosart (9-6) won for the first time in 12 career starts against AL West opponents despite allowing nine hits and six runs — five earned — in five innings.

Every Houston batter had at least one hit after George Springer’s infield single with one out in the fourth. Singleton followed with his sixth homer.

“It’s a work in progress every day,” Singleton said. “Today, I tried not to think too much. I was seeing the ball. That’s about it.”

Adrian Beltre extended his hitting streak to 10 games with an RBI double in the third inning and a solo homer in the fifth that pulled the Rangers to 9-6. Beltre’s team-leading 12th home run came an inning after Elvis Andrus’ three-run double down the left-field line.

Houston relievers Josh Fields and Tony Sipp kept the Rangers from getting any closer, combining to strike out seven in a row starting in the sixth, when Texas trailed 10-6. The streak included Jake Smolinski in his major league debut for Texas in the seventh.

The Rangers, playoff contenders the past four seasons, lost for the 16th time in 19 games. Texas started the day 17 games behind Oakland and finished it just two ahead of last-place Houston, which has lost at least 100 games three straight years.

Singleton had the first of the five straight singles and reached base four times, capped by an RBI double in the eighth. Carlos Corporan also had three hits as the Astros finished with a season-high 17.

Alex Presley hit his fifth homer — a solo shot in the sixth — and was one of four Houston players with two hits. He had to come out after the 10th pitch of an at-bat in the eighth inning when he appeared to injure his right side on a swing. Pinch-hitter L.J. Hoes had a sacrifice fly to right on the first pitch he saw.

NOTES: Rangers RHP Nick Martinez was scratched from Tuesday’s start because of a pulled muscle in his rib cage. He’s being replaced by RHP Phil Irwin, who made his only big league appearance in a start for Pittsburgh last year.

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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