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Atlanta Braves lose 2-1 to Texas Rangers

By WTOP Staff

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Alex Wood gave Atlanta a chance for a big road win Friday night. The Braves’ lineup was unable to come up with a big hit.

Wood struck out nine over seven innings of one-run ball, but Atlanta lost 2-1 to the Texas Rangers.

The Braves have lost four of five to drop three games behind Pittsburgh for the National League’s second wild card. Over the last 12 games, Atlanta is 4-8 while scoring only 27 runs.

In Wood’s last eight starts, he is just 3-1 despite giving up only 11 runs, with no more than three runs in any game. The left-hander didn’t complain about the lack of run support.

“The only thing that’s frustrating is us not getting the ‘W’ as a team,” Wood said. “Right now, everything matters. We’re grinding out at-bats.”

Wood walked two and allowed four hits.

“He has some unbelievable numbers,” Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. “It doesn’t bother him. He’ll come back out the next time and give ya another chance to win the game.”

Adrian Beltre and Ryan Rua had two hits apiece as Texas won for only the second time in 13 games. The Rangers improved to 2-5 under interim manager Tim Bogar.

Texas’ winning rally started with two out in the eighth. Beltre and Rua hit consecutive singles against David Carpenter (6-4) before Robinson Chirinos lined an RBI single to center.

Chirinos was playing for the first time after missing 10 games because of a stiff neck.

Rookie Phil Klein (1-2) recorded two outs for his first major league win and Neftali Feliz pitched a perfect ninth inning for his ninth save in 10 opportunities.

Atlanta had a runner on third with one out in the eighth when Klein struck out Justin Upton. After issuing an intentional walk to Ryan Doumit, Klein struck out Chris Johnson to end the inning.

The game ended when Andrelton Simmons flied out to Texas right fielder Michael Choice on the warning track.

The Braves had taken a 1-0 lead in the third, when they had four of their eight hits against Derek Holland.

Singles by B.J. Upton and Simmons and Jason Heyward’s ground ball produced the run. Holland retired Justin Upton and Doumit with the bases loaded to prevent a bigger inning.

“We had some opportunity,” Gonzalez said. “It wasn’t for lack of trying, or lack of putting people on base, we just can’t put the ball in play sometimes when we have to.”

Texas tied it in the sixth on J.P. Arencibia’s double, Beltre’s single and Rua’s groundout.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Braves: C Evan Gattis (strep throat) missed his fourth straight game.

Rangers: RHP Scott Baker (triceps tendinitis) was scratched from Saturday’s scheduled start. … OF Jake Smolinski (fractured left foot) could come off the disabled list to join Texas on Tuesday at Oakland. … OF Jim Adduci (concussion) is undergoing tests to determine if he could return from the DL.

UP NEXT

Braves RHP Julio Teheran (13-11, 3.00 ERA) faces RHP Lisalverto Bonilla (0-0, 7.36 ERA) on Saturday afternoon. Teheran will be trying to end a personal two-game losing streak. Bonilla is making his first major league start in Baker’s place.

LOOOONG STREAK

Beltre has the longest current hitting streak by any player against the Braves. The streak extends back to 2003, but it’s only 13 games because he has played in the American League since ’05.

MORE STREAKING

On his 25th birthday, Braves 1B Freddie Freeman’s third-inning single stretched his on-base streak to 28 games. Beltre’s streak went to 27 after his sixth-inning single.

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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