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Mets’ Niese struggles in 5th in loss to Brewers

By WTOP Staff

RICH ROVITO
Associated Press

MILWAUKEE (AP) — In his second start since coming off the disabled list as he recovered from a sore shoulder, New York Mets pitcher Jonathon Niese held the resurgent Milwaukee Brewers offense in check for four innings.

The game turned on Niese’s mistake in the fifth.

The Mets held a two-run lead when Jean Segura reached on a fielder’s choice, stole second, advanced to third on a fly out and scored on a wild pitch by Niese.

“It was a curveball in the dirt. It got away. It happens. It took a bad hop, and that’s the way it goes,” Niese said.

Milwaukee grabbed the lead later in the inning when Jonathan Lucroy blasted a double to deep center with two outs, scoring Carlos Gomez, who had singled. Ryan Braun followed with an RBI single to give the Brewers a 3-2 edge. The Brewers went on to a 5-2 victory.

“I don’t know if his concentration was broken after the ball got by the catcher and the run scored but after that, all of a sudden his balls started to come up in the zone a little bit,” Mets manager Terry Collins said.

Niese (5-6) took the loss, giving up five hits and three runs in five innings. He walked two batters and struck out four.

“I thought today I was hitting the spots for the most part. Obviously, the mistakes that I made cost me,” Niese said. “I think as the year goes on, I’ll fix those mistakes.”

Nonetheless, Milwaukee manager Ron Roenicke was impressed by the manner in which Niese went about his business.

“He’s still tough. I think he has a great idea of what he’s doing out there, as good as anybody in the league,” Roenicke said.

Wily Peralta earned his team-leading 12th win, and Mark Reynolds homered as Milwaukee bounced back after blowing a ninth-inning lead on Friday.

Khris Davis added a run-scoring hit for NL Central Division-leading Milwaukee.

Peralta (12-6) labored through 5 2-3 innings, giving up six hits and two runs. He walked three batters and struck out two. Peralta threw 103 pitches and didn’t show the command he had in his previous outing on Monday against Cincinnati, when he surrendered three hits and one run in seven innings.

“His command was off for sure, but when you’re throwing 97 or 98 mph, that’s not easy to hit,” Collins said. “We got some guys in good situations but we just couldn’t mount anything.”

Four relievers held the Mets scoreless over the final 3 1-3 innings. Francisco Rodriguez, who blew a save and took the loss against his former team on Friday night, recorded his 30th save in 34 chances.

“It was a heart-breaker last night, and I wanted to get back out there as soon as possible,” Rodriguez said. “One day this game can put you on top, and the next day it can put you in the ground. You have to have a short memory about it.”

The Mets took a 1-0 lead when Curtis Granderson, mired in an 0-for-18 slump, led off the third with a double to center. He moved to third on a groundout and scored on Lucas Duda’s soft single to center.

In his next at-bat, leading off the fifth, Granderson hit a line drive home run down the right-field line to make it 2-0.

Reynolds extended Milwaukee’s lead to two runs in the sixth with a 420-foot home run to center off Carlos Torres.

The Brewers made it 5-2 in the eighth on Davis’ RBI double.

NOTES: The Mets placed RHP Daisuke Matsuzaka on the 15-day DL with right elbow inflammation. Matsuzaka returned to New York on Friday for an MRI. The team recalled pitcher Buddy Carlyle from Triple-A Las Vegas. … The Brewers honored Negro League players Ted Toles Jr. and Nathan “Sonny” Weston during a pregame ceremony. … Niese batted eighth despite entering the game with an .036 batting average. Outfielder Eric Young Jr. batted ninth. … Milwaukee’s Jimmy Nelson (1-1) faces New York’s Jacob deGrom (4-5) in the series finale 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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