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Tillman struggles, Orioles fall to Pirates 9-8

By WTOP Staff

WILL GRAVES
AP Sports Writer

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Chris Tillman has grown used to the concept of running into early trouble and eventually working his way out of it.

The Baltimore Orioles’ right-hander couldn’t find the answer Wednesday night. Tillman retired just three batters as the Orioles fell 9-8 to the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Tillman’s first-inning ERA ballooned to 9.90 after he gave up four to begin the game then followed it up by giving up four more in the second without recording an out.

Not exactly the follow-up he was expecting after tossing a shutout in his previous start against Kansas City.

“Coming off a good one, you’d like to carry it over and get into rhythm here,” Tillman said. “It was tough. I battled and tried to make adjustments, but they just weren’t coming to me.”

Tillman gave up eight runs, six earned, in one-plus inning, walking three and striking out one while his overall ERA sailed from 3.34 to 4.21.

“Chris has spoiled us at a high level pitching,” Baltimore manager Buck Showalter said. “Tonight was just a tough night for him. He’s struggled before early and gotten back in sync and gave us some strong innings, but it just never really came to him tonight.”

Nelson Cruz hit his 14th homer of the season and drove in three runs for the Orioles, who rallied to tie the game at 8 in the top of the seventh before reliever Ryan Webb (2-1) gave it back in the bottom of the inning on Tony Sanchez’s RBI-single.

Nick Markakis, Chris Davis and JJ Hardy had two hits and one RBI apiece, but Baltimore left 10 men on base as the Orioles failed to sweep their four-game interleague series with the Pirates.

“You had two early exits from starters and it became a game out of the bullpen and they pushed one across there late,” Showalter said. “But our guys, we had a couple opportunities to score some more, but I can’t fault the offense.”

Andrew McCutchen went 3 for 4 with an RBI and his first two extra-base hits in more than two weeks for Pittsburgh, which won for only the third time in its past nine games. Starling Marte and Ike Davis had three hits and two RBIs apiece for the Pirates.

Bryan Morris (4-0) earned the victory after failing to protect an 8-6 lead. Mark Melancon worked a perfect ninth for his seventh save.

Pittsburgh began the night eight games under .500 in part because of a struggling starting staff that has hardly looked like the group that led the team to the postseason last fall.

Things didn’t get much better, but the bullpen briefly recaptured its touch.

Reliever Vin Mazzaro’s steady hand out of the bullpen played in stark contrast to the mess made by Pittsburgh starter Wandy Rodriguez.

The veteran left-hander has struggled with his command and his conviction all season and did little to convince manager Clint Hurdle he was ready to turn the corner despite being spotted a 4-0 first-inning lead thanks in part to a two-run triple by Marte.

The 35-year-old Rodriguez, in the final year of his contract, promptly gave the big lead away as Cruz led off the second with a blistering solo home run and added a two-run double later in the inning to put the Orioles in front.

Rodriguez’s throwing error on a sacrifice bunt attempt by Tillman meant he was only charged with one earned run for his 1 2-3 innings of work, dropping his ERA from 6.84 to 6.75.

Tillman couldn’t take advantage of the reprieve. Marte’s two-run triple highlighted Pittsburgh’s outburst in the first. Things got no better after Tillman watched his teammates erupt off Rodriguez.

Tillman failed to retire a batter in the second as the first six Pittsburgh batters reached base. Brad Brach came on in relief to get out of the inning, but not until after the Orioles trailed 8-6.

NOTES: Pirates closer Jason Grilli could return as early as Saturday. Grilli has been on the disabled list since sustaining a left oblique strain on April 20. He threw 20 pitches in a simulated game on Tuesday without incident … Showalter said OF Nolan Reimold, still recovering from back surgery last July, will begin participating in extended spring training games but there remains no timetable for his return. … The Orioles sent LHP Wei-Yin Chen back to Baltimore ahead of the team on Wednesday as a precaution due to concerns over weather in Pittsburgh. Chen (5-2, 3.69 ERA) is scheduled to start on Thursday against Cleveland. … The Pirates begin a four-game series with Washington on Thursday. Edinson Volquez (1-4, 4.71) starts for the Pirates against Washington’s Blake Treinen (0-1, 0.77).

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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