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Diamondbacks falter late in 3-2 loss to Pirates

By WTOP Staff

WILL GRAVES
AP Sports Writer

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Wade Miley spent eight masterful innings working toward his first win in nearly two months.

Two bad pitches in the top of the ninth sent him to the clubhouse. Two more by closer Addison Reed sent the Arizona Diamondbacks to another baffling loss.

Starling Marte smashed a two-run double off Reed with one out in the ninth inning and then scored on pinch-hitter Ike Davis’ single two batters later to rally the Pittsburgh Pirates for a 3-2 win Tuesday night.

“I was making pitches all night long, but I didn’t make them when I needed to,” Miley said.

Neil Walker and pinch-hitter Gregory Polanco started the inning with singles and manager Kirk Gibson lifted Miley in favor of Reed (1-4). One batter later, Marte hit a hanging 0-2 slider off the wall in center to tie the game.

“I was trying to duplicate the previous pitch, start it on the black and have it go out of the strike zone, but I left right over the middle of the plate,” Reed said. “He’s a good hitter. You can’t do that to him. He put a good swing on it and you saw what happened.”

Andrew McCutchen was intentionally walked and Davis singled to right, scoring Marte easily.

“(Reed) threw a 92 mph cutter off the plate and I somehow hit it,” Davis said.

Ernesto Frieri (1-3) earned his first win with the Pirates after working a scoreless ninth.

Miley allowed two runs on four hits in eight-plus innings, striking out 10. Miguel Montero and Aaron Hill produced consecutive RBI singles in the fifth off Pirates starter Jeff Locke. Paul Goldschmidt went 2 for 4 with a run for the Diamondbacks, who fell to 27-2 when leading after eight innings.

Pittsburgh’s comeback looked unlikely most of the night the way Miley was dealing. Working both sides of the plate, he retired the first 14 batters he faced until Jordy Mercer beat out an infield single with two outs in the fifth. Russell Martin singled in the eighth and was the only other baserunner Miley allowed until the ninth.

“He was great,” Gibson said of Miley. “He pitched a heck of a game. He was in total command of that game, but it didn’t work out at the end. I hope to see him pitch like that again next time.”

Miley came in winless in his last eight starts, including a rough four innings last week against Cleveland in which the Indians tagged him for five runs. There were no such problems for the first 24 outs against the Pirates.

“I just located tonight,” Miley said. “I hadn’t located in the past. That’s pretty much the key right there, being able to locate and keep the ball down.”

The Diamondbacks stranded nine runners in all, including six in the first four innings. They nearly squandered another scoring chance in the fifth before being bailed out by some sloppy defense by the Pirates.

Goldschmidt singled with two outs and was attempting to steal second when the Pirates sniffed it out. Locke threw to Gaby Sanchez at first to start the rundown, but the burly Goldschmidt was safe at second when Sanchez’s throw to Mercer sailed into left field.

Montero followed with a single that brought Goldschmidt home, and Montero scored moments later on Hill’s flare to shallow right.

Given a lead, Miley didn’t let it go to waste. He struck out the side in the seventh and had little trouble in the eighth.

Arizona nearly went ahead 3-0 in the ninth, only to have Gerardo Parra thrown out at home trying to score on a single to right by Ender Inciarte. Less than 15 minutes later, the Pirates were celebrating their second win in 35 games when trailing after eight innings.

“Every time we’re up to bat there’s a chance we do something,” Davis said. “It’s hard to shut us down for nine. We’ve done it a lot this year … anything is possible with us.”

NOTES: Pirates LHP Francisco Liriano is scheduled to pitch four innings in a simulated game Wednesday. Liriano, on the disabled list with a strained left oblique, threw 52 pitches without an issue in the bullpen on Sunday. … An MRI on Arizona SS Chris Owings’ left shoulder Monday revealed no structural damage. Owings went on the disabled list Sunday with a left shoulder strain. Gibson called the injury just a bruise. Owings won’t hit for about a week, but Gibson is confident the rookie will be able to return when his 15-day stint on the DL is up. … The series continues Wednesday when Arizona’s Chase Armstrong (5-3, 3.63 ERA) faces Pittsburgh’s Charlie Morton (4-9, 3.41).

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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