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Cueto fans 12 in 6 innings, Reds beat Dodgers 5-0

By WTOP Staff

JOE KAY
AP Baseball Writer

CINCINNATI (AP) — Johnny Cueto was striking out batters. Joey Votto and Jay Bruce were driving in runs. For one night, the Cincinnati Reds felt like themselves.

It hasn’t happened that often this season.

Cueto matched his career high with 12 strikeouts in six innings, and Votto and Bruce — the missing core of Cincinnati’s batting order much of the season — each drove in runs Wednesday night, leading the Reds to a 5-0 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Cueto (6-5) followed his shortest start of the season with one of his most dominating. He gave up three singles and didn’t walk a batter, leaving after his 112th pitch. Cueto lasted only five innings during an 8-0 loss to Philadelphia on Friday.

The Dodgers fouled off a lot of pitches, quickly elevating Cueto’s pitch count. He lobbied for one more inning but manager Bryan Price decided he’d had enough.

“That’s the way it was,” Cueto said, with trainer Tomas Vera translating. “I wasn’t trying to strike everybody out, but they made me throw a lot of pitches.”

Jonathan Broxton escaped a bases-loaded, one-out threat in the seventh by getting Hanley Ramirez to ground into a double play.

“All we’re trying to do down there is get the outs in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings and let (closer Aroldis Chapman) have the spotlight,” Broxton said. “That’s been working most of the year.”

Votto doubled home a pair of runs off Hyun-Jin Ryu (7-3), who had won his last four starts. Votto hadn’t driven in a run since May 10, missing 23 games in between because of a strained muscle above his left knee.

Bruce missed two weeks following knee surgery. He hit a solo homer off Ryu, who gave up four runs in six innings.

The Reds are hoping that with Votto and Bruce back in the lineup, they can get a lot more out of an offense that ranks second to last in the majors in runs scored.

“We have a history here,” Price said. “We have a real good understanding that we have players who have accomplished things at a high level here. You saw some of that tonight. Hopefully, it’ll be a precursor to good things.”

The loss snapped the Dodgers’ three-game winning streak, which matched their season high. They’re 4-2 on a trip that concludes Thursday and 22-13 overall on the road.

Dodgers left fielder Matt Kemp was ejected in the second inning by plate umpire Seth Buckminster, a minor league umpire brought up to the majors. Kemp was called out on strikes and continued to argue from the dugout. It was Kemp’s eighth career ejection and his second this season.

Kemp was ejected by Angel Hernandez on April 26 for arguing a called third strike.

Cueto faced the minimum 15 batters through five innings — Dee Gordon singled but was picked off. He also fanned 10 over that span, including five in a row while getting up to 90 pitches. The Dodgers got a pair of singles in the sixth, but Ryu failed to get down a bunt to advance them.

Ryu had won his first five decisions on the road this season. When he faced the Reds on May 26 at Dodger Stadium, he took a perfect game into the eighth before settling for a 4-3 victory.

He helped the Reds get ahead in the rematch. Ryu walked two batters ahead of Votto’s two-out double in the second. Votto scored on Brandon Phillips’ single. Bruce homered in the sixth for a 4-0 lead.

NOTES: Zack Greinke (8-2) faces Alfredo Simon (8-3) in the final game of the series on Thursday afternoon. The Reds are 4-5 on their homestand. … Ramirez was a late scratch because of a sore shoulder but pinch hit in the seventh and hit into the double play. … RHP Chad Billingsley, who had reconstructive elbow surgery last year, didn’t feel right while throwing in the bullpen on Tuesday and has put his rehab on hold until the elbow can be examined. … RF Yasiel Puig visited the Cincinnati Zoo and tweeted photos and video of himself with elephants, polar bears and a snake. … The Reds wore camouflage jerseys and hats honoring the military. … SS Zack Cozart has a six-game hitting streak.

___

Follow Joe Kay on Twitter: http://twitter.com/apjoekay

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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