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Lackey wins debut, Cardinals nip Brewers 3-2

By WTOP Staff

R.B. FALLSTROM
AP Sports Writer

ST. LOUIS (AP) — John Lackey was as advertised, and the St. Louis Cardinals rewarded their new pitcher with a late rally.

“It worked out good, got a win,” Lackey said after the Cardinals rallied for three runs in the seventh inning to beat the Milwaukee Brewers 3-2 on Sunday. “You obviously want to do well in a new place, for sure.

“It’s a great baseball town and the atmosphere was awesome.”

Rookie Oscar Taveras got the go-ahead hit for the Cardinals, who took two of three from NL Central-leading Milwaukee and pulled within one game of the division lead.

St. Louis acquired Lackey in trade deadline deal with Boston on Thursday, capitalizing on the sell-off by the slumping Red Sox. He won the clinching Game 6 of the World Series against the Cardinals last fall and arrived with the reputation of a big-game pitcher.

Manager Mike Matheny deferred to the 6-foot-6 right-hander in his final inning, leaving him in the game after pinch-hitter Lyle Overbay singled for the Brewers’ second straight hit, raising his career average to .364 against Lackey.

After Matheny and the entire infield huddled at the mound, Lackey got Carlos Gomez on a popout.

Matheny said he went to the mound “open-minded,” but wanted to make sure Lackey still felt strong in 87-degree heat.

“He wanted the ball and I wanted him to have the ball,” the manager added. “We’re going to need him to be one of our horses and he’s going to thrive on situations like that.”

The 35-year-old Lackey (1-0) allowed two runs and seven hits. He went 11-7 with Boston this year.

“That’s the same old Lackey,” said the Brewers’ Mark Reynolds, who hit his 19th homer in the second. “We just couldn’t get the big hit.”

Lackey got a big cheer when he walked to the dugout after warming up and again when he left the mound after the seventh.

“It wasn’t a huge deal, honestly, as far as butterflies,” Lackey said. “Maybe kind of like maybe opening day or something like that. I started locating some balls better as the game went on.”

Trevor Rosenthal struck out Gomez with two on for his major league-leading 34th save in 38 chances.

Milwaukee starter Matt Garza was pulled for a pinch hitter after allowing one hit in six innings, a curious move at the time given there was no immediate medical update. After the game, manager Ron Roenicke said Garza had “tweaked a left oblique” and the team believed the injury is minor.

“It was bad enough where I had to take myself out of the game and I don’t do that,” Garza said. “I could have kept going and could have made it worse and I could have been out probably the rest of the year.”

Matt Holliday homered off Zach Duke with one out in the seventh. Recently acquired A.J. Pierzynski hit a tying single off Jeremy Jeffress (0-1), and Taveras, the everyday starter in right field since Allen Craig was traded to Boston, singled up the middle.

“When he gets in those big spots, I don’t think it rattles him,” Matheny said.

Aramis Ramirez added an RBI single in the first for Milwaukee, his seventh hit of the series.

Garza needed just 38 pitches and faced the minimum the first four innings. He went to a full count for the first time against Matt Adams, who doubled leading off the fifth.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Brewers: Second baseman Scooter Gennett and shortstop Jean Segura did not start, both nursing sore quads. Gennett struck out pinch-hitting in the ninth.

Cardinals: Outfielder Jon Jay missed his fifth straight start with a sore wrist from a checked swing in San Diego. He had to be extra disappointed, given he is 8 for 13 with a homer against Garza.

UP NEXT

Brewers: Milwaukee awaits the Giants, with Jimmy Nelson (1-2, 4.30 ERA) facing San Francisco’s Tim Lincecum (9-7, 4.21 ERA) on Tuesday at Miller Park.

Cardinals: After an off day, the Cardinals host Boston for a three-game series beginning Tuesday night. On Wednesday, Shelby Miller (8-8, 4.14 ERA) faces ex-teammate and close friend Joe Kelly (2-2, 4.37 ERA), who was traded to Boston in the Lackey trade. Miller and Kelly were the best man in each other’s wedding.

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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