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Dodgers fall 4-0 to Nationals after long delay

By WTOP Staff

JOSEPH WHITE
AP Sports Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) — Zack Greinke was on an impressive stat-geek run, one that had been unmatched for a century. It took an interminable rain delay for it to come to an end.

Greinke pitched only three innings Monday night before play was halted for 3 hours, 17 minutes, and he had long hit the showers by the time the game finally resumed. The two-run homer he allowed to Anthony Rendon in the first inning stood up for the Washington Nationals, who beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-0.

The game ended Greinke’s parade of 18 consecutive regular-season starts in which he pitched at least five innings while allowing two runs or fewer — the longest such streak in the majors since 1914.

“It’s not really like it’s an important streak; no one really cares about it anyway,” Greinke said. “If it was like a consecutive win streak or something more important than that, it would mean a little more.”

Greinke (5-1) also picked up his first loss of the season as the Dodgers mustered only eight hits and went 0 for 6 with runners in scoring position.

“We don’t get off to a good start, they get a couple quick runs, and then obviously a three-hour delay in there and lose Zack,” Los Angeles manager Don Mattingly said. “Really, we had chances, we just didn’t do anything.”

Nationals starter Jordan Zimmerman pitched four shutout innings before the game was halted, and five relievers threw an inning apiece after play resumed. In between, a narrow, cigar-shaped storm took its time soaking D.C. and not much else.

By the time Danny Espinosa hit a two-run homer in the eighth inning, there were only a couple of hundred fans left in the ballpark, almost all of them congregated behind the two dugouts. A couple of times there was an ad hoc chant-off between the ones in red down the first base line and those in blue on the other side.

“You can hear every word at that point,” Espinosa said. “It’s like a back-field spring training game.”

Aaron Barrett (2-0) got the win mainly because he happened to be Washington’s first reliever when play resumed, and plate umpire John Tumpane became the MVP for calling strikes and getting the game done in a reasonable hurry once the tarp was removed. There were four strikeouts before the delay, 16 after it.

Dodgers slugger Yasiel Puig sat out the marathon, still sore after crashing into an outfield wall in the ninth inning of Sunday’s 5-4 road loss to the Miami Marlins. Mattingly said Puig remained day-to-day and declined to say directly whether a concussion has been ruled out.

Nationals left fielder Nate McLouth had his own crash-into-wall injury in the eighth inning, when he made a sliding backhand catch of a foul ball. Both hands and both knees hit the wall hard, and his right hand was bleeding as he walked off the field.

Williams said McLouth wasn’t seriously hurt. The cut didn’t require stitches, although a banged-up knee will almost certainly be sore for a while.

NOTES: Greinke had been unbeaten in his previous 13 starts (9-0) vs. NL East teams. … The Nationals plan to promote RHP Blake Treinen from Triple-A Syracuse to start Tuesday’s game. RHP Ryan Mattheus will be optioned to Syracuse. … Clayton Kershaw (strained back) is scheduled to come off the disabled list Tuesday and start for the Dodgers. … Kershaw is expected to take the roster spot held for a day by RHP Pedro Baez, who was recalled Monday from Double-A Chattanooga and made his major league debut in the eighth inning. RHP Stephen Fife, who started Sunday’s game, was optioned to Triple-A Albuquerque. … Mattingly said LHP Hyun-Jin Ryu, who missed Sunday’s start with a sore shoulder, did not need an MRI and would resume throwing Tuesday.

___

Follow Joseph White on Twitter: http://twitter.com/JGWhiteAP

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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