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Nuno stays winless with Arizona in loss to Twins

By WTOP Staff

MIKE COOK
Associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Early control problems kept Diamondbacks starter Vidal Nuno from ending an inglorious streak.

The Arizona hitters didn’t provide much help, either.

Phil Hughes set a single-season major league record for strikeout-to-walk ratio, pitching eight strong innings for the Minnesota Twins in a 2-1 victory over the Diamondbacks on a wet Wednesday afternoon.

Arizona lost 12 of its last 13 on the road — scoring just 31 runs in the process — to finish 31-50 away from Chase Field.

“Same stuff all year. We’re playing hard, having some good at-bats, but just not having the good at-bats when we need them,” said center fielder A.J. Pollock.

Arizona was 0 for 6 with runners in scoring position.

Nuno finished 0-7 with a 3.76 ERA in 14 starts for the Diamondbacks since he was acquired July 6 from the New York Yankees in the Brandon McCarthy trade. He went 2-5 with a 5.42 ERA in 17 appearances for the Yankees.

He is the first National League pitcher since Angel Guzman of the Cubs in 2006 to go winless in at least 10 starts in a season.

Nuno won’t let his win-loss record ruin what he considers a promising finish to the season, especially after smoothing out some mechanical issues, such as his arm slot, since joining the Diamondbacks. He’s allowed three or fewer runs in seven of his past eight starts.

“It’s all about quality starts and getting deep into ball games so the bullpen don’t get used that much and I’ve been doing that lately,” Nuno said. “There’s one good stride I made, but next year is another year.”

Against the Twins, Nuno allowed three hits and two earned runs in five innings while striking out six.

But he tied a season high with four walks, including back-to-back-to-back free passes that led to a run in the first.

In the second, he hit Eduardo Escobar with one out. Danny Santana and Brian Dozier singled to load the bases and set up a sacrifice fly. Nuno needed 62 pitches to get six outs, but just 43 in facing the minimum number of batters in each of the next three innings.

“I just told myself to pitch your game and just calm down and just go out there and have fun,” Nuno said.

Hughes (16-10) finished his first year with the Twins with the same number of wins and walks. With 186 strikeouts, his 11.63 ratio became the best of all time for pitchers with a qualifying amount of innings. Hughes beat Bret Saberhagen, who had 143 strikeouts and 13 walks for the New York Mets in 1994 for an 11.00 ratio.

LONG TIME

Bobby Wilson was the catcher for the Diamondbacks, his first major league start in almost two years when he played for the Los Angeles Angels. Wilson, who made his major league debut for the Angels in 2008, spent the 2013 season with Yankees Triple-A affiliate Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and this year with Triple-A Reno until the Diamondbacks called him up last week.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Diamondbacks: INF Aaron Hill, who dislocated the tip of his right pinky Monday night, missed his second straight game.

UP NEXT

Diamondbacks: Arizona has Thursday off before returning home to finish the season against St. Louis, the NL Central leader still seeking to clinch a third straight division title. Trevor Cahill (3-12, 5.55), who is winless in his last six starts with 25 earned runs surrendered in 28 1-3 innings, will start for Arizona against Michael Wacha (5-6, 3.18).

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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