Skip to main content

Reds’ Leake struggles in loss to Padres

By WTOP Staff

JAY PARIS
Associated Press

SAN DIEGO (AP) — The Reds’ Mike Leake was on a three-game winning streak and facing the punchless Padres on Tuesday night.

Life’s good, right?

Not exactly.

San Diego chased Leake with two outs in the sixth inning of an 8-2 victory as the Reds lost their second consecutive game after winning a season-best five straight.

Instead of Leake (6-7) recording his career-high fourth win in a row, he allowed three runs and 11 hits, four for extra bases. He didn’t walk anyone and struck out four.

Leake was rocked by an offense that had scored five runs in the previous five games and had one hit in Monday night’s victory.

“All in all, I’m not that disappointed,” Leake said. “They hit some good pitches. I made a couple of mistakes. Good job by them hitting me early in the counts.”

The Padres had won two straight, but on just three runs on five hits.

Leake was sharp in his previous two starts, allowing a run on four hits in eight innings in each of the outings. But the homecoming for the San Diego native was rocky as the Padres won their third straight game.

“They just found a way to put more balls in play and found more holes than is typical against Mike,” Reds manager Bryan Price said. “When we made a mistake they were able to find some grass in the outfield.”

Seth Smith hit a leadoff home run and scored three runs, Carlos Quentin also homered and drove in three runs.

Smith had three hits as the Padres finished with a season-high 16 one night after managing just one hit in a 1-0 win over the Reds.

Ian Kennedy (6-9) pitched six strong innings, giving up one run and seven hits with a walk and three strikeouts to get his first win in nearly a month. Kennedy, who improved to 4-1 in his career against the Reds, was 0-3 with a 6.08 ERA in his last four starts in June.

Quentin’s two-run homer in the four-run, seventh inning was the key blow when the Padres extended their lead to 7-1.

San Diego had its highest scoring total since an 11-1 win over the Cubs on May 23.

The Padres got the game’s final out when the original call was overturned through instant replay. Todd Frazier was ruled safe on a force play at second base before Black challenged the call.

It marked the second time since instant replay was instituted this season that a game ended with a call being reversed.

“The problem is replay is becoming a hot topic,” Price said. “We left the field angry several times and today’s another one. You’re castrated by the inability to talk to the umpires about the play.

“To walk off the field with your jaw on the ground, is not a way to leave the field. This is an 8-2 ballgame, maybe inconsequential, but that’s not the way to end the game, it just isn’t.”

Smith hit his ninth homer of the season leading off the first to give the Padres a 1-0 lead. It matched their hit total from the previous night and was San Diego’s first homer since Tommy Medica had one on June 24.

After totaling just five runs in their previous five games, the Padres extended the lead to 2-0 when Kennedy got San Diego’s third straight single.

The Reds pulled to 2-1 in the fifth inning when Frazier’s two-out, broken-bat single to center drove in Zack Cozart. That snapped the Padres’ scoreless innings streak at 21.

NOTES: Padres SS Everth Cabrera was a late scratch with a strained left hamstring. He’ll be re-evaluated Friday, but could be headed to the DL. … RHP Andrew Cashner (sore right shoulder) will resume throwing Wednesday after getting the OK from the team’s medical staff. … 2B Jedd Gyorko (plantar fasciitis) had his cast removed on Tuesday. … Reds 1B Joey Votto was lifted for pinch-runner on Tuesday, an indication his left knee remains tender. “He is not running at full speed,” Price said. … Reds RHP Johnny Cueto (8-5, 1.88) faces Padres RHP Tyson Ross (6-8, 3.18) in Wednesday afternoon’s series finale.

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