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Wacha struggles in Cardinals’ 6-3 loss to Rays

By WTOP Staff

DICK SCANLON
Associated Press

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — It was a record-breaking inning for Michael Wacha — in a bad way.

After allowing three runs or less in each of his first 13 starts, the St. Louis Cardinals’ right-hander gave up four runs to Tampa Bay in the fourth inning and the Rays went on to win 6-3 Wednesday night.

Desmond Jennings had a two-run single in the fourth, when the Rays batted around and snapped a club-record 31-inning scoring drought. Two straight walks preceded Jennings’ hit, and Wacha (4-5) walked four overall.

“It’s just not a good recipe to get a win,” Wacha said. “I had way too many walks tonight and that’s just free baserunners. It gives them momentum and then also it gives them opportunities to drive those guys in.”

Wacha allowed four runs in five innings. He is the first Cardinals pitcher since Lee Meadows in 1917 to allow three runs or fewer in each of his first 13 starts. St. Louis pitchers had their streak of 30 scoreless innings end.

Only 53.7 percent of Wacha’s 82 pitches were thrown for strikes, a career low.

“He just never really found his fastball, for whatever reason. His timing was off and it was a fight for him,” Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said. “It was just one of those days where it just didn’t click. Those days happen.”

Tampa Bay, which won for just the second time in 16 games, had been shut out in its previous three games.

Yadier Molina had two RBIs for the Cardinals, who entered with three consecutive shutout pitching performances.

The Cardinals might have won in spite of the Rays’ big inning except for what Matheny called “a Superman play” by Tampa Bay right fielder Kevin Kiermaier.

With the Cardinals down 4-3, Peter Bourjos was robbed of an extra-base hit with the bases loaded and two outs in the fifth when Kiermaier made a full-extension diving catch on a liner.

“I’m not sure where they were playing me but when I hit it, I thought initially it was going to be caught, and then I looked up and saw there was a big gap out there,” Bourjos said. “And he came out of nowhere and made the play. It was pretty special.”

Tampa Bay extended its lead to 6-3 in the seventh on Evan Longoria’s RBI single and a sacrifice fly by James Loney.

Molina hit a two-run third-inning single before Matt Carpenter put the Cardinals ahead 3-0 on a run-scoring single in the fourth.

Rays starter Erik Bedard lasted four innings, giving up three runs and eight hits. Juan Carlos Oviedo (2-2) went 1 1-3 inning for the win. Grant Balfour threw the final 2 1-3 innings for his 10th save.

NOTES: The Cardinals are optimistic that ace Adam Wainwright’s right elbow discomfort is not a serious issue. He returned to St. Louis for tests . … Former St. Louis manager and Tampa native Tony La Russa threw the ceremonial first pitch. He will be inducted into baseball’s Hall of Fame on July 27. … Tampa Bay RHP Jeremy Hellickson (elbow) will make his second rehab start Thursday for Triple-A Durham. He could rejoin the rotation at the end of the month. … Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon was given the neon back entrance sign from Derby Lane track that he drove by daily en route to the ballpark. The track was a favorite haunt of Rays senior adviser Don Zimmer, who died last week at 83. “My head is spinning right now,” said Maddon, when he first saw the sign outside the clubhouse. … The Cardinals signed high school pitcher Ronnie Williams, their second-round pick in this year’s draft.

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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