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Mets fall short in 2-1 loss to Reds

By WTOP Staff

JOE KAY
AP Sports Writer

CINCINNATI (AP) — Eric Young, Jr. slid in safely. He couldn’t keep his foot on the base, and it ended up costing the Mets a chance to extend their winning streak.

Todd Frazier and Chris Heisey homered, and Johnny Cueto went seven innings on Saturday, leading the Cincinnati Reds to a 2-1 victory that ended New York’s winning streak at three games.

With Aroldis Chapman on the mound for his 30th save in 32 chances, the Mets got a chance to pull it out in the ninth.

Curtis Granderson singled was replaced by Young. Dilson Herrera walked. The runners pulled off what was initially ruled a double steal, but the replay showed Young took his foot off third base after he slid and was tagged out by Kristopher Negron. Pinch-hitter Eric Campbell struck out to end it.

“I slid in there,” Young said. “I clearly beat it, but our feet got tangled up. The third baseman did what he was supposed to do and kept the tag on. I was trying to avoid an injury.”

That slip let the Reds escape.

“It certainly took the starch out,” manager Terry Collins said. “It was real disappointing.”

Frazier’s second homer in two days tied it in the sixth against Dillon Gee (6-7). Heisey pinch-hit for Cueto with two outs in the seventh and broke the 1-all tie with his eighth homer. It was Heisey’s fourth pinch-hit homer of the season.

“Looking back, I thought the whole outing was pretty good,” said Gee, who gave up seven hits in seven innings and struck out six. “Physically I felt the best I’ve felt in a long time. I threw a first-pitch slider to Frazier and he went out and got it.”

The Reds won for only the second time in eight games. They’re 16-31 since the All-Star break. It was a rare one-run win for Cincinnati, which is the worst in the majors at such close games with a 21-34 mark.

The Mets hit five homers in the series opener on Friday night for a 14-5 victory and were trying to match their longest winning streak of the season with one more. They wasted early chances against Cueto, getting five hits in the first two innings but scoring only once.

Travis d’Arnaud extended his hitting tear with a leadoff double in the second and came around on Herrera’s single.

Cueto retired 13 in a row until Lucas Duda walked with two outs in the sixth and d’Arnaud doubled again. Granderson drew a walk that loaded the bases. Cueto struck out Herrera on a fastball to end the threat. The right-hander gave up six hits and struck out eight.

Frazier tied it with his 25th homer in the bottom of the sixth inning off Gee, who remained winless on the road since May 4, going 0-4 in five starts.

OH GEE

Gee went 0 for 3, leaving him 0 for 38 at the plate since last Sept. 15, failing to get a hit in his past 17 games. The longest streak in Mets history was Doug Sisk’s 26 games without a hit.

STATS

With his two doubles, d’Arnaud extended his hitting streak to five games. … Wilmer Flores extended his hitting streak to seven games. … Heisey has 10 career pinch-hit homers. … It was the sixth time in his career that Chapman pitched more than one inning for a save.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Mets: Rafael Montero was recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas. He’ll make at least one start and then go into the bullpen. Collins wants to see how he fares as a reliever in case that’s a role he could fill next season. Montero is 0-3 with a 5.23 ERA in seven games with New York this season.

Reds: SS Zack Cozart was back in the lineup. He missed three games in Baltimore for the birth of his son. He was out on Friday with a sore right wrist. … Manager Bryan Price said the Reds are still aiming to get 1B Joey Votto healthy enough to play by the final week. Votto has been out since July 8 with strained muscles above his left knee.

ON DECK

Mets: Zack Wheeler (9-9) makes his first career start against the Reds. Wheeler has allowed three or fewer earned runs in his past 12 starts.

Reds: Mat Latos (5-4) tries to finish his injury-shortened season strong. He has five quality starts in his past eight games.

___

Follow Joe Kay on Twitter: http://twitter.com/apjoekay

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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