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Sizemore, last-place Phillies hand Mets 4-1 win

By WTOP Staff

MIKE FITZPATRICK
AP Sports Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — With a chance to climb out of last place, Grady Sizemore and the Phillies did all they could to stay there.

The left fielder dropped an easy pop fly that allowed the tiebreaking runs to score Friday night, and Philadelphia mustered little offense against Jacob deGrom in a 4-1 loss to the New York Mets.

“Routine play, had it the whole way, saw it fine, was under it, just missed it,” Sizemore said. “It does not get much worse than that. The guys played hard — I just happen to be the guy who let the team down. Really all there is to it.”

Eric Campbell stole home on a double steal, and Travis d’Arnaud hit an RBI single to help the Mets stay out of the NL East cellar with their 12th victory in 17 games against the Phillies this year.

Cody Asche had a run-scoring single for Philadelphia, which had won four straight and six of seven. A victory in the series opener would have pushed the last-place Phillies past New York, but Sizemore’s two-out error with the bases loaded in the seventh cost them.

“Looked to me like three players surrounded it and he called it,” manager Ryne Sandberg said. “One of those unfortunate things, and they scored the runs with no hits.”

In a matchup of rookie right-handers, deGrom (7-6) yielded four hits and an unearned run over seven crisp innings. He struck out five and walked two in his second start since coming off the disabled list.

David Buchanan went six innings for the Phillies, giving up one run and four hits before he was pulled for a pinch hitter after only 64 pitches. He is winless in his past four starts despite a 3.04 ERA.

“I just wanted to go out there and pound the strike zone, try to get quick outs. This is my third time seeing these guys, so I did not really have anything to surprise them with,” Buchanan said. “I just wanted to make sure I pounded the zone early, keep the ball down and on the ground. But overall, it felt good.”

New York took a 4-1 lead in the seventh, scoring three unearned runs without a hit.

Matt den Dekker drew a one-out walk from Jake Diekman (3-4), who hit Wilmer Flores with a pitch and walked pinch-hitter Campbell with two outs.

Juan Lagares lofted a high pop to shallow left-center, and Sizemore was under it when the ball deflected off his glove for an error that allowed two runs to score. Sizemore won Gold Gloves with Cleveland in 2007 and 2008.

“You take every gift you can get right now,” Mets manager Terry Collins said.

With runners at the corners, Lagares stole second and Campbell broke for home, beating the return throw from shortstop Jimmy Rollins with a headfirst dive at the plate.

“We had to look at the guy at third there,” Sandberg said.

Jeurys Familia worked a scoreless eighth, and Jenrry Mejia struck out three in the ninth for his 20th save in 23 attempts.

Philadelphia tied it in the seventh on Asche’s run-scoring single after a throwing error by first baseman Lucas Duda. Carlos Ruiz popped up a bunt for the first out of the inning, and deGrom started an inning-ending double play with an athletic stab of a sharp comebacker by pinch-hitter Domonic Brown.

“He made a nice play on the double-play ball,” Sandberg said.

TRAVEL TROUBLES

Philadelphia, which wrapped up a 7-2 homestand Wednesday with a three-game sweep of first-place Washington, has lost seven of eight on the road.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH

The last time the Mets scored three runs or more in an inning without a hit was against the Chicago Cubs at Shea Stadium on July 25, 1999. Philadelphia had not permitted such an inning since Sept. 6, 1996, against the Cubs at Veterans Stadium.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Phillies: Sandberg said the team might bring up about five or six players from the minors when rosters expand in September. He thinks extra arms would help his bullpen, which had a 1.81 ERA in the previous 21 games since Aug. 5.

UP NEXT

In the middle game of the series Saturday night, Mets RHP Bartolo Colon (12-10, 3.82 ERA) makes his first start since attending his mother’s funeral in the Dominican Republic. His opponent on the mound will be journeyman right-hander Jerome Williams, who is 2-0 with a 1.77 ERA in three starts for Philadelphia.

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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