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Cardinals beat Brewers 3-2 in 13 innings

By WTOP Staff

R.B. FALLSTROM
AP Sports Writer

ST. LOUIS (AP) — When rosters expand in September, National League managers don’t have to save their backup catchers.

The St. Louis Cardinals pinch-ran for Yadier Molina in the ninth inning, allowing Tony Cruz to put his stamp on the race to the postseason.

“Just taking it as it comes,” Cruz said after getting the winning hit in the 13th inning in the Cardinals’ 3-2 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday night that moved St. Louis closer to its second straight NL Central title. “Any way you can contribute is huge.”

The defending National League champions took two of three in a tight series that featured only 12 runs and another game that lasted 12 innings. The Cardinals lead the division by 2 1/2 games with nine games to go. They will begin their final home series of the season on Friday with the first of three games against Cincinnati.

“It’s huge,” Cruz said. “You don’t want to scoreboard-watch but it goes on, especially this time of the year. We know what’s at stake.”

Aramis Ramirez and Scooter Gennett both had an RBI for the Brewers, who are five games back and 3 1/2 out for the second NL wild card. Jonathan Lucroy’s 45th double as a catcher tied the major league record for the position, set by Ivan Rodriguez in 1996, and was his major league-leading 52nd overall.

Cruz singled up the middle with one out for the third hit of the 13th against Jimmy Nelson (2-8), scoring Matt Adams from second.

Four straight St. Louis hitters reached against Jonathan Broxton with two outs in the eighth to tie it, resulting in the seventh blown save in Kyle Lohse’s starts.

Jon Jay had an RBI single, and Adams drew his second bases-loaded walk of the series to make it 2-2 after Matt Holliday kept the inning alive with a headfirst dive into first for an infield hit. That call was overturned after the Cardinals asked for a replay review.

“I don’t think many of us are a big fan of that ‘diving into first base’ trick,” manager Mike Matheny said. “Apparently, it worked.”

Earlier in the eighth, Brewers first baseman Mark Reynolds thought there were two outs instead of one and didn’t try for a double play on pinch hitter A.J. Pierzynski’s groundout. He just stepped on the bag instead.

“Mistakes like that can’t happen, obviously, especially in this point in the season,” Reynolds said. “Everyone had their hands on their heads.

“It was an easy double-play ball, especially with Pierzynski running.”

The Brewers left two on in the 10th against Pat Neshek and loaded the bases with two outs in the 11th against Carlos Martinez, who escaped by striking out Carlos Gomez. He then fanned Ryan Braun with a man on second to end the 12th.

Sam Freeman (2-0) had two strikeouts in a perfect 13th — the most innings in a Cardinals game.

Ramirez had two hits and has two homers and 10 RBIs against St. Louis this year.

Shelby Miller retired the first 11 before surrendering three straight two-out hits in the fourth, a rally started by Lucroy’s double. Miller has allowed two earned runs in 26 innings this month, and St. Louis starters have given up one earned run or fewer in seven straight starts.

Brewers starters have a 1.74 ERA in the last eight games. Cardinals leadoff man Matt Carpenter is 1 for 16 against Lohse.

TRAINER’S ROOM:

Cardinals: Matheny feels no urgency to get another look at Justin Masterson, banished to the bullpen with a 7.53 ERA and limited to 1 1-3 innings since Aug. 30.

UP NEXT:

Brewers: Yovani Gallardo (8-10, 3.59) gets the call in the opener of a three-game series at Pittsburgh. He is 0-4 with a 5.25 ERA in his last five starts. The Brewers are 11-5 against the Pirates this year and 87-41 since 2007.

Cardinals: John Lackey makes his first start in nine days after getting skipped for the Milwaukee series. He is 2-2 with a 5.05 ERA for St. Louis and 11-7 with a 3.60 ERA overall.

FUNDAMENTALLY SPEAKING:

Both teams failed to get a bunt down late. Pinch-hitter Peter Bourjos fouled off two attempts, the last resulting in a strikeout in the ninth. Carlos Gomez fouled out to Cruz in the 10th.

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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