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Chafin’s command absent in Diamondbacks’ 6-3 loss

By WTOP Staff

BRIAN HALL
Associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Andrew Chafin walked off the mound on Tuesday night for the Arizona Diamondbacks and immediately began thinking about the offseason, and the changes he plans to make.

A rough outing where he lost his command again gave him the starting point for improvement.

Chafin (0-1) walked two batters but was behind in the count and threw 69 pitches in three innings as Arizona lost 6-3 to the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday.

Chafin gave up four runs on seven hits to lose his first major-league decision in his third career start.

“I got a good bit of confidence boost from almost everything,” Chafin said. “I know if I make my pitches, I can get people out just like at any other level. I learned some things I’m going to need to do this offseason to come back and really try to excel next year.”

Chafin spoke with Arizona pitching coach Mike Harkey after the game and already started looking at his mechanics, which has caused him eight batters in 14 major-league innings. The left-hander had gotten away with the spotty command in his two previous starts and only allowed two runs in 11 innings coming into Tuesday.

“Overall a good experience for him,” Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson said. “It’s about fastball command. I know Hark talked to him after he came out of the game about that. He needs to have a good offseason and be ready to pitch next year.”

Chafin struck out three batters in the first en route to five strikeouts in the game, which matched his total from his two previous starts. But the bottom of the order jumped on Chafin in the first after a leadoff walk to Josmil Pinto. The Twins scored three in the inning. After a scoreless third, Chafin gave up singles to the first two batters of the fourth to end his night.

“It was just one of those days I didn’t have a very good feel for my heater, my command wasn’t there and it made it difficult just getting behind in the count on every batter it felt like,” Chafin said. “It just made it hard to pitch efficiently and well.”

Twins’ starter Kyle Gibson (13-11) matched a career high with eight strikeouts and allowed one run in seven innings.

Trevor Plouffe added four singles and Aaron Hicks two hits and an RBI for Minnesota.

MAKING ADJUSTMENTS

Ender Inciarte had four hits for Arizona and drove in a run with his fourth single of the game in the ninth. It’s the second career 4-hit game for Inciarte, who had four hits earlier this season in a 14-inning game.

The rookie outfielder was one of the few Diamondbacks to have success against Gibson. After leading off the game with a groundout, Inciarte had hits in his final four at-bats.

“The first at-bat, I rolled over and hit a ground ball to second and I told myself I was going to let the ball travel as much as I can so I can hit the ball up the middle and that’s what I did,” Inciarte said. “I let the ball travel, started seeing the ball better and started hitting to the middle.”

The rookie outfielder has hit safely in 12 straight games and is batting .400 with four doubles and four RBIs during the stretch. Since June 22, Inciarte has a hit or walk in 66 of 72 games as Arizona’s leadoff hitter.

TRAINER’S ROOM

DIAMONDBACKS: DH Aaron Hill is day to day after dislocating the top of his right pinky finger while sliding headfirst into home plate in the eighth inning Monday night. Paul Goldschmidt (fractured hand) felt good Tuesday after taking 40 lights swings on Monday. Matt Reynolds (elbow) was scheduled to pitch in an instructional league game Tuesday. Patrick Corbin (elbow) and David Hernandez (elbow) each threw from 75 feet for 6 minutes on Monday.

TWINS: Manager Ron Gardenhire hopes to get Tommy Milone, who hasn’t pitched since Sept. 2 because of a neck injury, some work out of the bullpen later this week.

“I know he’d like to pitch. We’re going to try to find a way to do it,” Gardenhire said.

UP NEXT

Vidal Nuno (0-6, 3.78) starts for Arizona in Wednesday afternoon’s series finale. He’ll be trying for his first win since coming over via trade from the Yankees.

Phil Hughes (15-10, 3.61) will try to become the first Twins’ starter to reach 16 wins since Carl Pavano went 17-11 in 2010.

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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