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Sox bats quieter than normal for Peavy

By WTOP Staff

KEN POWTAK
Associated Press

BOSTON (AP) — Jake Peavy’s lack of support reached a new low.

Jake Arrieta held the Red Sox hitless until Stephen Drew singled with two outs in the eighth inning, and the Chicago Cubs beat the Boston Red Sox 2-0 on Monday night in the opener of only the second series between the teams at Fenway Park since 1918.

Entering the night with the second-lowest run support in the American League at 3.19 per game, Boston’s offense was nearly no-hit at home for the first time in 56 years.

The last time Boston was no-hit at home, Ted Williams flied out to right field for the final out of Detroit ace Jim Bunning’s gem on July 20, 1958 in the opener of a doubleheader.

Peavy (1-7) is winless in his last 12 starts. He gave up two runs on five hits, walking two and striking out seven in six innings.

“You just go out and try and give your team the best chance that you can give them on that night to win,” he said. “I’ve got to do a better job of that. It’s going to change. This isn’t going to keep happening. I promise you, I’ve got my head down and just working.”

Six days after losing a perfect game on a leadoff single in the seventh inning of his previous start at Wrigley Field against Cincinnati, Arrieta took his no-hit bid a little deeper. He allowed only Mike Napoli’s fifth-inning walk before Drew lined a clean single to right.

“We just ran into a guy that was on his game,” Boston second baseman Dustin Pedroia said. “He was really good. Sometimes you’ve got to tip your hat and come out tomorrow and play well.”

Entering the night after taking two of three games from the rival Yankees, the Red Sox were looking to build some momentum with a 10-game homestand.

That ended quickly with Arrieta’s performance.

“You give credit to a talented guy who was on tonight,” Boston manager John Farrell said.

Drew’s hit ensured the Red Sox wouldn’t be no-hit for the first time since Cubs pitching coach Chris Bosio pitched a no-no against Boston in 1993 for Seattle.

Arrieta (5-1) was lifted by Cubs manager Rick Renteria immediately following the hit that came on the right-hander’s career-high 120th pitch.

The 28-year-old Arrieta was given a loud ovation before he even got to the foul line, tipping his cap to the Boston crowd. He tipped it again after crossing the line.

Arrieta fanned 10 in just his 11th start after opening the season on the disabled list with shoulder tightness.

Hector Rondon allowed a pinch-hit single to A.J. Pierzynski leading off the ninth before finishing the two-hitter for his 10th save.

Nate Schierholtz hit a two-run homer for Chicago.

In just the second regular season series at Fenway between the clubs since Boston won the 1918 World Series in six games, Arrieta mixed his pitches by combining a sharp cutter and curve with an above-average fastball.

The Red Sox, who arrived in Boston around 4 a.m. after a win Sunday night in New York against the Yankees, really didn’t have anything close to a hit until Drew’s single.

Arrieta fell behind Napoli 3-0 before getting a called strike. Napoli then fouled a pitch off before drawing a walk on the next pitch. Xander Bogaerts lined to left after Napoli’s walk.

Arrieta, who started the season on the disabled list with shoulder tightness, made his first start of the season on May 3.

He’s been spectacular in June. Coming in, he allowed just four runs and 20 hits in 31 2-3 innings, winning his three previous starts.

The Cubs took a 2-0 lead in the fourth when Welington Castillo walked and Schierholtz followed with his homer into Boston’s bullpen.

Arrieta was acquired by the Cubs last July along with right-hander Pedro Strop from Baltimore for pitcher Scott Feldman, catcher Steve Clevenger and two international signing bonus slots.

NOTES: Carlos Zambrano pitched the Cubs last no-hitter, in 2008. … Cubs senior vice president of scouting and player development Jason McLeod told reporters on the field before the game that he withdrew his name from consideration for the San Diego GM job. “Certainly being a GM is really something I hope to do sometime in the future,” he said. “But right now, I felt this is where I want to be.” … Boston rookie Mookie Betts played center field after making his major-league debut in right at Yankee Stadium on Sunday night. CF Jackie Bradley Jr. was rested. “There’s going to be a little rotation of guys in four positions,” Farrell said.

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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