Skip to main content

4 homers propel Mariners over Astros 10-5

By WTOP Staff

JORDAN GODWIN
Associated Press

HOUSTON (AP) — Two costly errors led to a seven-run inning that doomed the Houston Astros on Friday night.

In the 10-5 loss to the Seattle Mariners, the Astros allowed the first two batters of the fourth inning to reach base on infield errors, and things went downhill from there.

The game was tied at 1 before things fell apart. Logan Morrison reached on an error by Jonathan Villar and an error by Chris Carter allowed Michael Saunders to reach with no outs.

Mike Zunino followed with a three-run homer, which bounced off the wall in left-center. Brad Peacock (4-9) walked two batters with one out before Robinson Cano chased him with a single for his 900th career RBI.

Peacock allowed six hits and seven runs — two earned — with four walks in 3 1-3 innings in a game where seven of Seattle’s 10 runs were unearned.

“It’s definitely stressful,” Peacock said. “First and second, no outs. It’s tough to get out of that situation.”

Peacock was replaced by Jake Buchanan, who was greeted with Kyle Seager’s three-run homer which landed in the bullpen in right-center and pushed the lead to 8-1.

“You pitch so well for so long, but the offense isn’t working very well,” Astros interim manager Tom Lawless said. “But all of a sudden, the offense gets 13 hits tonight and scores some runs, and the defense kind of killed us.”

Major league hits leader Jose Altuve bounced back from Thursday’s 0 for 6 night with three hits to give him 216, which are the most by a second basemen since Rod Carew had 218 in 1974. It’s his 24th three-hit game this season, which sets a franchise record, and he tied Magglio Ordonez for most hits by a Venezuelan player in major league history.

Altuve was playing designated hitter for the first time in 2014 and just the eighth game of his career.

“If I’m going to get three hits every time I DH, I want to DH,” Altuve said.

Altuve’s first two hits came on two pitches, while his third hit came on the third pitch of the at-bat. One hit came on a pitch that was far outside and high for the undersized hitter who is hitting .343 to hold a lead over Victor Martinez for the AL batting title.

“The second one almost looked like it was a pitch-out,” Lawless said. “But he’s so talented with that wand in his hand. It’s impressive.”

Dustin Ackley homered in the third and eighth innings for his second career multihomer game for the Mariners, who

Ackley tied it at 1 with a home run in the third inning. His second homer was off Darin Downs and pushed the lead to 9-3 in the eighth.

Taijuan Walker (2-2) yielded eight hits and two runs with seven strikeouts in 5 2-3 innings for his third career win in his return to the rotation for injured left-hander Roenis Elias. Four of Walker’s seven career starts have come against Houston and each of his wins have been against the team.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Mariners: Elias had an MRI in Seattle on Friday after feeling stiffness in his elbow. Manager Lloyd McClendon said that they won’t know the results of the MRI until Monday.

Astros: Downs left Friday night’s game after the homer to Ackley with discomfort in his right oblique.

UP NEXT

Houston’s Dallas Keuchel opposes Chris Young when the series continues on Saturday. Keuchel is first in the American League with five complete games. Young has tied his career-high in wins with 12 this season and is 1-0 with a 3.21 ERA in two starts against Houston this season.

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
Read Next Story

Related News

Frustration grows in Venezuela as earthquake death toll reaches 1,430

Israel and Lebanon sign framework agreement with US in ‘first step’ toward peace, Rubio says

Trump-endorsed populist poised to become Colombia’s next president as rival challenges vote