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Pirates-Cubs game suspended by rain in 7th inning

By WTOP Staff

JAY COHEN
AP Sports Writer

CHICAGO (AP) — The Pittsburgh Pirates are in the thick of the playoff race in the National League, so Saturday is another big day for manager Clint Hurdle’s club.

Friday’s series opener against the Chicago Cubs was suspended by rain with the game tied at 3 in the seventh inning. The teams will pick up right where they left off before their regularly scheduled matchup Saturday afternoon.

The Pirates brought a four-game losing streak to Wrigley Field and began the day third in the NL Central, 5 1/2 back of the streaking Cardinals and 1 1/2 games out in the wild-card race. Completing two games in one day provides a chance for Pittsburgh to make up ground no matter what the other NL contenders do.

The Pirates and Cubs waited through a 37-minute rain delay in the fifth, but more storms rolled through the area with Jordy Mercer at the plate in the top of the seventh. With more rain in the forecast, the game was called after a delay of 1 hour, 52 minutes.

“The field took a lot of water. It would take quite a bit of time to prep the field (and) there would be a very small window of clear weather to play,” Hurdle said. “We might not even have the potential of playing multiple innings, and there’s another larger storm that’s supposed to come and last longer.”

Josh Harrison had three hits for Pittsburgh, including two doubles, at the time of the suspension. Jose Tabata had two hits and drove in a run.

Cubs left-hander Tsuyoshi Wada left with one out in the fourth due to mild cramping in his left calf. He hit consecutive batters with pitches in the third and was charged with three runs, two earned, on three hits and one walk.

The gametime temperature was 88 degrees on a muggy afternoon, and Wada said he thought the heat bothered him.

“This was something that I experienced in Japan in the past as well, so I just felt like it just kind of came up again,” he said through a translator.

Pittsburgh right-hander Vance Worley returned after the first delay, but departed with two outs in the fifth. He allowed three runs, two earned, and five hits.

“You can’t control the weather,” Worley said. “I went back out there and the ball was coming out better than the rest of the game. I got a little erratic at times, but I kept the ball in the park and they put a couple of balls in play.”

Wada was in line for the loss before Chris Valaika’s two-out RBI single in the fifth. The Cubs then had runners on second and third, but Justin Wilson retired pinch-hitter Mike Olt on a bouncer to second for the final out of the inning.

“I thought Justin did a great job leaving the two runners out there,” Hurdle said.

Harrison doubled and scored on a two-out throwing error by third baseman Luis Valbuena in the first. But Harrison returned the favor in the third, throwing Valaika’s two-out grounder over the head of first baseman Gaby Sanchez for an error that allowed Valbuena to come home.

The Cubs made another costly defensive mistake in the fourth when Arismendy Alcantara broke in on Tabata’s drive to center and it sailed over his head for an RBI double. Harrison added another run-scoring double with two outs, giving Pittsburgh a 3-2 lead.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Pirates: OF Travis Snider (left hamstring) and INF Pedro Alvarez (left foot) aren’t ready to play just yet, Hurdle said. … RHP Charlie Morton, placed on the disabled list last month with a sports hernia in his right hip, was scheduled to throw a bullpen Friday and then a simulated game Tuesday in Philadelphia.

UP NEXT

Two left-handers take the mound when Pittsburgh’s Francisco Liriano (3-10, 3.91 ERA) faces Felix Doubront (1-0, 1.29) on Saturday afternoon. Liriano is looking for his first win since July 29 at San Francisco, while Doubront is seeking his second straight victory after he pitched seven solid innings in his first appearance with the Cubs at St. Louis last Saturday.

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Jay Cohen can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/jcohenap

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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