Skip to main content

Ozuna hits grand slam, Marlins beat Phillies 14-5

By WTOP Staff

MIAMI (AP) — Marcell Ozuna came into Wednesday night’s game mired in a slump.

He was 3 for 24 in the previous nine games, but hit a grand slam and knocked in five runs to help power the Miami Marlins past the Philadelphia Phillies 14-5.

“He needed that,” Marlins manager Mike Redmond said. “He needed to lock it in and have a couple good at-bats. He’s definitely had some struggles this month. … Hopefully this is a spark for him and a spark for us.”

Christian Yelich, Garrett Jones, and Jarrod Saltalamacchia each drove in two runs for the Marlins, who have the best home record (18-6) in baseball.

Nathan Eovaldi (3-2) allowed three runs_one earned_and 10 hits in six innings to pick up the win.

“I felt command,” Eovaldi said. “I had better command of my fastball this outing and I was able to make the big pitches when I needed to.”

Ozuna’s first career grand slam and seventh home run of the season broke the game open in the seventh inning. Miami led 6-3 with two outs before Jeff Manship loaded the bases and Ozuna smacked a pitch over the left-field wall for a 10-3 lead.

“When I saw the pitch, I said, ‘I got it. Let me not make a mistake. Just make contact,'” Ozuna said.

Phillies starter Kyle Kendrick (0-5) came into the game with a 10-game winning streak against the Marlins, but lost his 10th consecutive game overall. Kendrick allowed six runs in 5 2-3 innings.

“I wasn’t good at all, falling behind in counts, missing over the plate, my fastball command wasn’t very good,” Kendrick said. “Guys scored runs and I gave it right back to them and that’s what’s frustrating.”

Domonic Brown homered and drove in three runs for the Phillies, who had their three-game winning streak snapped.

Brown’s two-run home run pulled Philadelphia within 10-5, but Miami scored four runs in the eighth to post their highest run total of the season.

Miami slugger Giancarlo Stanton came up with a pivotal defensive play in the fifth inning. With the bases loaded and the Marlins holding onto a 5-3 lead, Cody Asche hit a line drive to the right-center field gap that looked as if it would clear the bases. Stanton raced to his right making a diving back-handed catch to end the inning.

“The great catch in right-center field was a game-changing play,” Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said. “That was potentially a 6-5 lead and a whole different type of a game.”

The Phillies scored two unearned runs in the first and the Marlins responded with two in the bottom half.

After Stanton drove in a run on a ground out to give Miami a 3-2 lead, Tony Gwynn, Jr. singled to tie the game at 3 in the fourth for Philadelphia.

Miami took the lead for good in the bottom of the fourth on RBI singles by Ozuna and Yelich for a 5-3 advantage.

NOTES: After the game the Marlins optioned RHP Anthony DeSclafani to Triple-A New Orleans. LHP Randy Wolf (0-0, 1.80) will take DeSclafani’s spot in the rotation and start Sunday against Milwaukee. … The Marlins are averaging 6.0 runs at home compared to 3.4 on the road. … Phillies SS Jimmy Rollins tied Richie Ashburn (2,217) for the second-most hits in franchise history. … Kendrick’s 10-game winning streak against the Marlins was the longest active streak by any pitcher in MLB against one team. … Philadelphia will send LHP Cole Hamels (1-2, 4.40) to the mound in Thursday’s series finale against Marlins RHP Henderson Alvarez (2-3, 3.62).

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