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Mets’ miscues in 8th help Braves rally for 5-3 win

By WTOP Staff

CHARLES ODUM
AP Sports Writer

ATLANTA (AP) — Jeurys Familia tried to shoulder the blame.

Alas, there were too many errors for one Mets player to stand as the lone culprit.

Three miscues by New York fueled Atlanta’s comeback as the Braves scored four runs in the eighth inning and beat the Mets 5-3 on Monday night for their fifth straight win.

Errors by Familia (1-3), center fielder Juan Lagares and third baseman Eric Campbell in the eighth helped the Braves rally from a 3-1 deficit. The bad defense took a win from Mets starter Zack Wheeler, who gave up only one run.

“We’ve got to catch the baseball better,” Mets manager Terry Collins said. “We didn’t catch the baseball tonight.”

Trailing 3-1, the Braves loaded the bases with no outs in the eighth against Familia. Following singles by Justin Upton and Jason Heyward, Chris Johnson hit a soft grounder to Familia, who threw low to shortstop Ruben Tejada at second base for an error on what could have been a double play.

“I tried to be too quick throwing to the base,” Familia said. “It was my fault.

“It’s tough because you work for something and you have a chance to make the double play and you don’t make it.”

The miscues kept coming.

Tommy La Stella’s single up the middle drove in Upton, and Heyward scored the tying run when Lagares bobbled the ball in center for another error. With one out, pinch-hitter Ryan Doumit’s walk loaded the bases again.

Campbell, the Mets’ fill-in third baseman while David Wright sits with a bruised left rotator cuff, bobbled Andrelton Simmons’ grounder for the third error of the inning, allowing Johnson to score the go-ahead run.

Dana Eveland replaced Familia and walked Freddie Freeman, pushing Atlanta’s lead to two runs.

It was a cruel letdown when the win seemed so close.

“We turn the double-play ball, we’re out of the inning,” Collins said. “That’s probably the hardest part. (Familia) has pitched so good.”

Curtis Granderson opened the game with his 11th homer. It was his 26th career leadoff homer.

Anthony Varvaro (3-1) pitched one scoreless inning to earn the victory. Craig Kimbrel recorded the final three outs for his 25th save.

The Braves announced late in the game that catcher Evan Gattis will be placed on the 15-day disabled list after an MRI revealed a bulging thoracic disk in his back.

Gattis, hitting .290 with 16 homers and 39 RBIs, missed his fourth straight game on Monday night with what had been called back spasms. He said he was told 95 percent of similar bulging disks “kind of resolve themselves” without surgery. He said he’ll have an epidural as early as Tuesday.

Rookie Christian Bethancourt, who made his first home start, and veteran Gerald Laird will be Atlanta’s primary catchers for at least two weeks.

Wheeler gave up one run on four hits and five walks in 6 1-3 innings.

The Braves scored their only run off Wheeler in the fifth. B.J. Upton, who hit a leadoff single and moved to third on Simmons’ single, scored on Freeman’s fly ball to left field.

Atlanta’s Alex Wood allowed three runs on six hits in six innings.

Travis d’Arnaud’s double drove in Chris Young, who reached on a single, in the second. Young’s fly ball in drove in Daniel Murphy from third base in the third.

Collins successfully challenged a ruling that B.J. Upton stole second base in the third inning. The safe call was overturned following the review, which lasted 1 minute, 15 seconds. Upton’s slide easily beat the throw, but the replay showed he was tagged when he bounced off the bag at the end of his pop-up slide.

NOTES: Fans with tickets to Tuesday night’s game can arrive early, with gates opening at 3:30 p.m., to see the U.S.-Belgium World Cup game on the video board. … Collins said Wright will avoid the DL, but will remain in New York for rest and treatment during the Braves series. Collins hopes Wright is ready to play Friday when the Mets open a home series against Texas. … Braves LHP Mike Minor will face Mets RHP Daisuke Matsuzaka in Tuesday night’s second game of the series.

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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