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Iwakuma fans season-high 11, Mariners top Phillies

By WTOP Staff

AARON BRACY
Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — After struggling through another start, Phillies right-hander A.J. Burnett said he might walk away from millions of dollars not to return in 2015.

Hisashi Iwakuma struck out a season-high 11 batters in eight scoreless innings and Kyle Seager homered to lead the Seattle Mariners to a 5-2 victory over Philadelphia on Tuesday night.

Burnett (6-14) lost his fifth straight decision and dropped to 0-6 with a 6.41 ERA in seven starts since the All-Star break. He allowed six hits with four walks and hit two batters in 7 2-3 innings.

Burnett signed a one-year deal with a player option for next year in the offseason. After Tuesday’s outing, he sounded as if he might decline the option. He would stand to make $10 million next season after making his 27th start on Tuesday.

Asked if he would return to the Phillies in 2015, Burnett said, “Probably not. We’ll see.”

Control has been a problem all season for Burnett, who began the day leading the majors with 72 walks. He started poorly, with eight straight balls to open the game.

“It took a while to get loose, much more than normal,” Burnett said.

The Mariners took advantage as both of those batters, Austin Jackson and Dustin Ackley, scored on RBIs by Robinson Cano and Logan Morrison.

“He struggled out of the gate with early walks,” Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said. “He just couldn’t find the strike zone. But then he settled down.”

His counterpart settled in right from the jump.

Iwakuma (12-6) was masterful while allowing four hits and no walks. Since July 1, the right-hander is 7-2 with a 1.63 ERA, 65 strikeouts and four walks in 72 innings over 10 starts.

“He was outstanding,” Mariners manager Lloyd McClendon said. “He commanded all of his pitches. He was in and out, up and down. Did a tremendous job for us.”

The Phillies, who have scored three runs or less 65 times this season, got just one batter to second base against Iwakuma. They have lost six of their last eight.

The Mariners needed three pitchers in the ninth to preserve the victory. The last of the trio, Fernando Rodney, came on with two outs and the tying run at the plate and struck out Cody Asche to record his 36th save in 39 opportunities.

“We have a strong belief in our bullpen, so I was able to watch the TV very calmly,” Iwakuma said through an interpreter.

Asked if he was tempted to let Iwakuma come out for the ninth, McClendon said, “No, no.”

The Phillies avoided their 14th shutout when Chase Utley scored on Yoervis Medina’s wild pitch. Domonic Brown followed with an RBI double to pull Philadelphia within 5-2 before Medina hit Carlos Ruiz to put runners on first and second for Asche.

Mike Zunino was 0-for-17 before getting two hits and driving in two runs. The Mariners, who scored two runs in the first, have won 11 of their last 14.

Seager began the sixth with a homer, his 19th, to deep right on a 3-0 pitch. Zunino hit a two-run single in the eighth to chase Burnett and put Seattle in front 5-0.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Mariners: RF Michael Saunders, who has been on the DL since July 11 with a strained left oblique, made his 10th rehab start Tuesday night for Triple-A Tacoma. Entering Tuesday, he was batting .258 at Tacoma.

Phillies: OF John Mayberry Jr. played in his first rehab game with Triple-A Lehigh Valley at Pawtucket on Tuesday night. Mayberry has been on the DL since July 21 with left wrist inflammation.

UP NEXT

Mariners: LHP James Paxton (3-0, 2.20) makes his sixth start of the season when the teams wrap up their three-game series on Wednesday afternoon. The 25-year-old is unbeaten in nine career starts, with his latest victory last Friday at Detroit when he allowed one run on five hits in six innings. Paxton will be facing the Phillies for the first time.

Phillies: LHP Cole Hamels (6-6, 2.44) will look for some better luck. He has a 1.71 ERA in his last three starts but is 0-1 over that stretch due to a lack of run support that has plagued him all season.

REVERE HITLESS

Philadelphia’s Ben Revere went without a hit for just the second time in his last nine games, going 0-for-4 with a rare strikeout. Revere entered Tuesday second in the NL in batting at .313 and leading the league in hardest to fan (one strikeout per 11.9 plate appearances).

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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