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Mets give Torres little help in 4-1 loss to Cubs

By WTOP Staff

HOWIE RUMBERG
AP Sports Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Carlos Torres excelled in a spot start on no rest. The Mets’ bats, well, they appear to have taken the week off.

Torres threw five shoutout innings in place of Bartolo Colon, but New York extended a streak of getting four hits or fewer to a fifth straight game in a 4-1 loss to the Chicago Cubs on Monday.

“It’s really a tough assignment, especially when he pitched yesterday,” Collins said of Torres’ effort. “We just couldn’t give him any help.”

The Mets had four hits — including Lucas Duda’s 22nd homer — against Kyle Hendricks and two relievers, and they totaled just 16 hits in splitting the four-game series with Chicago. The five-game run matches the club’s longest streak. New York also went five games with no more than four hits in 2004 and 1963.

The only time since 1914 the Cubs gave up four or fewer hits in four straight games was in 1983.

“It’s just execution,” Mets third baseman David Wright said. “You’ve got to go up there and do what we’ve done in the past when we were a good offensive team, and the only way to get back to that is to get a few hits and feeling good about yourself.”

The 41-year-old Colon had to return to the Dominican Republic, where his mother was sick, forcing the durable Torres to make his first start since Sept. 27. He yielded three hits.

Colon’s winter ball team, the Cibao Eagles, confirmed later Monday Colon’s mother died.

The Mets will place Colon on the bereavement list and recall right-hander Gonzalez Germen from Triple-A Las Vegas on Tuesday.

Torres became the first pitcher to start on no days’ rest since the Angels’ Billy Buckner did it June 25, 26 last year. Torres threw nine pitches in facing two batters in the Mets’ 2-1 loss Sunday.

The right-hander allowed three hits, struck out six — including the side in the first — and walked two on 84 pitches.

“Just pound the zone. It’s all you can do,” Torres said.

With Torres out, the Cubs rallied to help give Hendricks his fourth straight win.

Luis Valbuena, who had three hits, had a tying single in the sixth. Anthony Rizzo connected off Buddy Carlyle (1-1) in the eighth for his 28th homer. Javier Baez then hit a two-run shot in the ninth off closer Jenrry Mejia into the second deck in left field for his fifth career homer.

Hendricks (5-1) gave up just three hits in seven innings.

Neil Ramirez struck out two in a perfect eighth and Hector Rondon allowed a leadoff double but finished the four-hitter for his 18th save.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cubs: OF Chris Coghlan was out of the starting lineup. “We’ve been pushing him pretty hard,” manager Rick Renteria said. Coghlan has been playing with a sore left big toe. As a pinch hitter, he grounded out with the bases loaded in the eight.

Mets: RHP Daisuke Matsuzaka could be activated from the DL to replace Colon. Matsuzaka (elbow inflammation) made a rehab start Saturday, allowing one run and three hits over six innings for Double-A Binghamton.

UP NEXT

Cubs: LHP Tsuyoshi Wada (2-1) will make his seventh big league start when Cubs host the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday.

Mets: RHP Dillon Gee (4-5) is set for his first start at the Oakland Coliseum. He gave up four runs in four innings vs. the A’s at Citi Field on June 21, 2011.

QUICK REVIEW

Renteria challenged two plays, winning one and losing one. The total time for the two reviews was 1 minute, 23 seconds. Umpires needed 55 seconds to overturn a safe call on Matt den Dekker’s attempted steal in the fourth. It only took 28 seconds to uphold an out call at first base in the fifth.

ZERO SUM

Torres is first pitcher to strike out six on zero rest since the Cubs’ Steve Wilson struck out 10 on Sept. 10, 1989. He also is the first to throw at least five shutout innings on no rest since Philadelphia’s Bruce Ruffin went eight scoreless on June 21, 1991.

___

AP freelancer Dionisio Soldevila in the Dominican Republic contributed to this report.

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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