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Hammel 0-3 for A’s after 4-1 loss to Rangers

By WTOP Staff

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Jason Hammel, the other pitcher the Oakland Athletics got in the trade with Jeff Samardzija , is still adjusting to his new team. And is still without a victory.

Hammel lost his third consecutive start since coming to the AL West-leading Athletics from the Chicago Cubs on July 5, allowing four runs in 5 2-3 innings in a 4-1 loss to the Texas Rangers on Friday night.

“The easiest thing here is to start getting down on myself, but I’m not going to do that,” Hammel said. “I did a lot of good things tonight, save for a few hard-hit balls. Balls that fell in and a couple walks that pushed guys into scoring position. … Just got to make quality pitches. Make my misses down.”

Working with a new catcher and seeing new lineups, Hammel (0-3) has a 7.11 ERA in three American League starts. The right-hander struck out three and walked two while giving up seven hits against the Rangers.

“I thought he looked better. He threw a better mix,” manager Bob Melvin said. “After the first couple innings, it looked like the ball, he got the ball down, commanded his fastball better. Had a sharper slider.”

Jerome Williams became the record 31st pitcher for Texas this season and Neftali Feliz was back in a familiar finishing role.

Williams pitched six solid innings in an unlikely start and Feliz got his first save in three seasons.

Feliz, the closer again after Joakim Soria was traded to Detroit earlier this week, got his first regular-season save since 2011. The former All-Star’s last opportunity, before moving to the rotation and then getting hurt and needing Tommy John surgery, was a blown save in Game 6 of the 2011 World Series against St. Louis.

“He got it done. I’m more than certain the more he gets the ball, the easier it will probably come,” manager Ron Washington said. “We’ll just keep giving him the ball and see where it goes.”

Elvis Andrus had a triple among his two hits and scored twice for the Rangers, who had lost their seven previous home games in July and were coming off a 2-5 road trip out of the All-Star break.

The Athletics still have the best record in the majors at 63-39, and they have a 22 1-2-game division lead over last-place Texas, which has won only six of its last 33 games

Yoenis Cespedes was back in Oakland’s lineup after missing Thursday with a sprained right thumb. He had an RBI single in the sixth, but had some adventures in only his second start in center field this season.

Jim Adduci’s double was hit to straightaway center over Cespedes in the second before he scored on a single by J.P. Arencibia.

An inning later, Andrus tripled on a ball that twice got past Cespedes, when he couldn’t cut it off in the right-center gap and when it ricocheted off the wall. Andrus came home on a single by Alex Rios that made it 2-0.

Cespedes had an error in the sixth on a wide throw home after Adrian Beltre’s RBI single. Rios and Beltre got an extra base, and Adduci followed with a sacrifice fly.

Melvin successfully challenged to have two safe calls at first base overturned on replay. Arencibia was initially ruled safe on a pickoff throw by Hammel in the fourth. Andrus was called safe on what would have been an infield single, but wound up the inning-ending out in the seventh.

The game ended on another close call, and Melvin came out when Derek Norris was called out on a close play at first base.

“I just go out there and do what they tell me,” said Melvin, who didn’t challenge, ending the game.

NOTES: Oakland DH John Jaso was thrown out trying to go from first to third on Cespedes’ single to left in the sixth. “The outfield grass here, I guess, is a little faster than the Coliseum. I was out, but I thought it was close,” Jaso said. Melvin said it was “probably a little aggressive. He knows that.” … The A’s have two 11-game winners for the rest of the series, Sonny Gray on Saturday and Scott Kazmir on Sunday.

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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