Skip to main content

Mets waste Niese’s gem, lose to Brewers 5-1 in 13

By WTOP Staff

MIKE FITZPATRICK
AP Sports Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — By the end of his team’s latest deflating loss, Carlos Torres was punching himself in the head.

Hard.

It’s been that kind of month for the New York Mets and their anemic offense.

Jonathan Lucroy hit a tiebreaking homer off Torres in a four-run 13th inning, and the Milwaukee Brewers outlasted the Mets 5-1 on Thursday night after an unusual rain delay that lasted all of 3 minutes.

“We had our opportunities,” struggling Mets star David Wright said. “We have to do a better job.”

The slumping Mets stranded seven runners from the ninth through the 11th and blew a bases-loaded opportunity with a chance to win. They lost for the eighth time in nine games and fell a season-worst eight games under .500 at 29-37.

Minus ailing cleanup hitter Curtis Granderson, the Mets wasted another strong outing by Jonathon Niese and went 0 for 7 with runners in scoring position. They are batting .169 in those situations over the past 22 games.

And to make matters worse, closer Jenrry Mejia left the game with a stiff back.

Mejia said he told bullpen coach Ricky Bones about the tightness he felt before entering the game. The right-hander got two outs in the 10th and went back out for the 11th, but his back flared up as he was throwing warmup pitches.

“I wanted to go out there. That’s what I told him: ‘I want to go out there and pitch,'” Mejia said. “A little bit of pain. Let’s see how I feel tomorrow. I hope I feel better.”

Moments after Mejia came out, a sudden downpour halted play. Fans scurried for cover as umpires consulted the grounds crew — and the radar on a smartphone — near third base.

Players stayed in the dugout waiting for word and when the rain lightened to a drizzle, the game quickly resumed.

“That was weird. I thought they were going to pull the tarp and bang it and have like a one-inning playoff next time when they come to our place,” Lucroy said with a laugh. “Crazy night. Glad we could win and get out of here on a good note.”

Aramis Ramirez homered in the second inning and finished with three hits, helping the NL Central leaders take two of three in the series. Milwaukee (40-27) matched its season high at 13 games above .500.

New York took advantage of an error by Gold Glove center fielder Carlos Gomez to tie it in the fourth before Niese and Kyle Lohse settled into a crisp pitchers’ duel.

Ryan Braun opened the 13th with an infield single off Torres (2-4). Lucroy, who was hitless in five at-bats after beginning the night with a .341 batting average, drove a hanging curve to left field for his fifth home run.

“Believe me, I was trying to do it earlier than that,” Lucroy said. “Sorry.”

Mark Reynolds added an RBI single and Rickie Weeks was hit by Dana Eveland’s pitch with the bases loaded.

Back in the dugout, a frustrated Torres wiped his face with a towel and punched himself repeatedly on both sides of the head.

Zach Duke (4-0) tossed a perfect inning and Francisco Rodriguez finished in a non-save situation.

Brewers reliever Brandon Kintzler escaped a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the 11th with the help of a five-man infield. Wilmer Flores grounded into a force at the plate before Anthony Recker struck out looking.

Incensed by the call, Recker argued and was quickly ejected by plate umpire Angel Hernandez.

“You can’t get thrown out there,” Mets manager Terry Collins said. “I understand his frustration and everything else, but he’s got to know there’s nobody left on that bench except one guy.”

Lohse, who struggled in three previous starts at Citi Field, held the Mets to an unearned run in eight economical innings.

Niese, meanwhile, gave New York another steady outing with nothing to show for it.

The left-hander struck out a season-high eight in 7 2-3 innings. He has a 2.22 ERA over 28 1-3 innings in his last four games, all no-decisions.

“I felt really good,” Niese said. “I knew this is a tough-hitting team against lefties, so I kind of had to go away from how I normally pitch. I used my changeup a lot more.”

Daniel Murphy lined a leadoff single in the fourth. The ball skipped past an indecisive Gomez, allowing Murphy to reach third on the two-base error. He scored easily on Bobby Abreu’s sacrifice fly.

NOTES: Wright is mired in a 2-for-31 slide. … Granderson did not start due to a sore left calf. He hopes to be back in the lineup Friday night against San Diego. … Niese has not allowed more than three earned runs in his past 17 starts dating to last year — the longest active streak in the majors. … Milwaukee is 13-6 at Citi Field, the best winning percentage at the ballpark. … Ruben Tejada had made seven straight starts at shortstop for New York before Flores got the nod Thursday. … Murphy batted leadoff for the first time since May 26, 2013, according to STATS.

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