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Brewers’ bats quiet again in 5-1 loss to Reds

By WTOP Staff

GENARO C. ARMAS
AP Sports Writer

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Brewers slugger Carlos Gomez struck out an off-speed pitch with a swing so hard that his helmet fell off his head. He angrily slammed the helmet with his bat before walking away.

Milwaukee’s offense is struggling as it tries to keep pace in the National League playoff race. The Brewers managed just two hits in a 5-1 loss to the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday night that ended a three-game win streak.

David Holmberg pitched six effective innings and Billy Hamilton had key a two-run triple for Cincinnati, which has won four of five. Todd Frazier had three hits and scored twice.

Milwaukee remained 1 1/2 games behind Pittsburgh for the second NL wild-card spot after the Pirates lost 6-4 to the Cubs.

Holmberg (1-1) allowed two hits in his first major league win, including Aramis Ramirez’s fourth-inning homer.

“I can’t explain it. He threw the ball well,” Ramirez said about Holmberg. “What can I say?”

Holmberg’s fastball tops out at about 89 mph, but he effectively changed speeds to frustrate a Brewers lineup stacked with strong right-handed hitters. Holmberg has yielded just one earned run in 12 2-3 innings over three September appearances.

The Brewers haven’t scored more than four runs in a game since beating St. Louis 6-2 on Sept. 5.

“It’s hard to say what it is that’s going to take us to bust out and swing the bat well,” manager Ron Roenicke said. “I know we’re facing tough pitching so I’m not expecting big numbers every night but I expect guys to swing the bat.”

BOUNCE BACK GAME

Cincinnati scratched out two runs in the fourth on a bases-loaded walk and sacrifice fly off Yovani Gallardo (8-10). The speedy Hamilton broke open a one-run game with his triple to the gap in right-center in the seventh.

The Brewers wasted an otherwise effective outing by Gallardo, who allowed four hits and two runs in six innings.

Gallardo had a 5.95 ERA in his previous four starts.

“Mechanics-wise, everything felt normal,” Gallardo said. “You know I got a little bit out of whack there in the fourth inning … was just rushing through my delivery there with those two walks, and you know I was just able to leave it at that.”

HEADING HOLMBERG

Holmberg overcame an early bout of wildness after hitting two batters in the first, when the Brewers also had their best chance at a big inning.

An unusual double play with runners on first and second and nobody out helped bail out Cincinnati. Jonathan Lucroy’s hard-hit grounder to shortstop Zack Cozart froze Gomez leading off second.

Cozart threw to second for a forceout before Cincinnati tracked down Gomez in a rundown. Holmberg then got Khris Davis to fly out to right to end the inning.

It was a solid performance for Holmberg in his audition for 2015 for the Reds, who are seven games under .500.

“I just believe this September is hugely important for David simply to have the opportunity to pitch and get more comfortable as we head into 2015,” manager Bryan Price said. “He’s taking advantage of his opportunities.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Reds: 1B Joey Votto rejoined the team this weekend in Milwaukee in an effort to return before the end of the season. Votto, who has been on the disabled list since July 8 with a left knee injury, worked out before Saturday’s game.

Brewers: Right-handed hitter Ryan Braun was moved up to the No. 2 spot in the order against the lefty Holmberg. Roenicke also said he liked how Braun has looked since the outfielder got a day off to rest a nagging right thumb injury.

UP NEXT

Reds: RHP Mike Leake (11-11) is scheduled to make his career-best 31st start on Sunday. He already has career highs of 149 strikeouts in 196 1-3 innings.

Brewers: RHP Matt Garza (7-8) is 1-0 with a 0.56 ERA in two starts this season against Cincinnati.

___

Follow Genaro Armas at http://twitter.com/GArmasAP

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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