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Liriano shuts down slumping Phillies offense

By WTOP Staff

CHRISTOPHER A. VITO
Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Philadelphia Phillies went cold at the plate and it cost them again.

The Phillies couldn’t manage anything against Pittsburgh starter Francisco Liriano, who struck out a season-high 12 in eight dominant innings, and the Pirates beat Philadelphia 4-1 on Thursday night.

Liriano allowed only six runners, and the Pirates who for the seventh time in eight games to strengthen their hold on the second wild-card spot in the National League.

The Phillies, who have lost six of seven, batted .156 (10-for-64) in their final two games of the four-game series with Pittsburgh. An RBI single in the ninth inning by Carlos Ruiz prevented their 14th shutout loss of the season.

“That’s the best I’ve seen him in a long time,” said Phillies starter A.J. Burnett (8-16), who pitched in the Pirates’ rotation last season.

Ike Davis and Neil Walker broke out of slumps with RBI hits, and Pittsburgh scored three times in the sixth inning.

Liriano (5-10) got rare run support from his teammates, who had scored three runs or fewer in 13 of the lefthander’s last 17 appearances. He struck out at least 12 for the fifth time in his career and won his second consecutive decision.

Mark Melancon allowed one of two runners left by Jared Hughes to score in the ninth, but earned his 29th save in 33 opportunities.

The Phillies threatened in the third inning but they stranded Cesar Hernandez and Freddy Galvis, who both singled with no outs. In the sixth, Marlon Byrd popped out, and Ryan Howard struck out to leave a pair on base.

“He had great stuff with a real good changeup,” Galvis said of Liriano. “He had a good night.”

Walker went 2-for-3 with a double, a run and an RBI, and Russell Martin singled, scored a run and drove in another for Pittsburgh, which took three of four from Philadelphia.

The Pirates got on the board when Davis, in a 2-for-18 slump, singled to score Martin in the second inning.

In the sixth, Walker — mired in a 1-for-14 rut — doubled in Travis Snider to make it 2-0. Martin added a sacrifice fly, and Gregory Polanco followed with an RBI single.

Liriano cruised through the Phillies’ lineup, facing the minimum three batters in five of his eight innings.

Philadelphia struck out 14 times overall.

“Liriano was very effective with his change to both left- and right-handed hitters,” Philadelphia manager Ryne Sandberg said.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Pirates: LF Starling Marte was briefly back in the lineup. One night after being hit by a pitch in the hand in the first inning, Marte was plunked in the second. Marte left in the third due to discomfort in his left arm, and was replaced by Polanco. … RHP Charlie Morton, out with a sports hernia since Aug. 15, will throw a light bullpen session on Friday.

Phillies: LF Domonic Brown didn’t start because of a bruised left shoulder. He likely wouldn’t have played anyway against a left-handed pitcher, Sandberg said. The manager added that there is still no timetable for the return of SS Jimmy Rollins, who strained his left hamstring on Monday.

UP NEXT

Pirates: RHP Gerrit Cole (8-5, 3.89) gets the ball in the opener of three-game series with the visiting Chicago Cubs. Cole, 4-0 against the Cubs, will oppose LHP Tsuyoshi Wada (4-2,2.95).

Phillies: LHP Cole Hamels (8-7, 2.56), who owns the NL’s third-lowest ERA, opens the weekend series against visiting Miami. He will face Marlins RHP Henderson Alvarez (10-6,2.88).

END OF THE LINE

Phillies CF Ben Revere snapped an 0-for-14 slump with a sixth-inning single. It was the longest hitless streak of the season for Revere, who entered in fourth place in the NL batting race.

Pirates: Marte had two streaks end: a 10-game hitting streak and a run of five consecutive multi-hit games.

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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