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Seattle beats Astros 5-2 to sweep series

By WTOP Staff

KRISTIE RIEKEN
AP Sports Writer

HOUSTON (AP) — Brad Peacock was rolling, the Houston Astros had the lead and then the pitcher plunked Robinson Cano.

Things quickly fell apart after that as the Mariners jumped on Peacock for four runs in the sixth inning in a 5-2 win Wednesday.

“He just lost command,” manager Bo Porter said. “Lost command of the strike zone. He was in a complete groove and what we felt like complete control of the game then had the hit batter where he held on to a cut fastball too long and then was not able to get back in the zone.”

Logan Morrison drove in two runs in Seattle’s big inning and Chris Young pitched seven strong innings to help the Mariners complete a three-game sweep.

The Mariners trailed by two and couldn’t get anything going against Peacock until the sixth. James Jones got things started with a one-out single, before Peacock hit Cano with a pitch and walked Kyle Seager on four pitches to load the bases.

Jones cut the lead to one when he scored on a wild pitch, and Morrison’s two-run double gave Seattle a 3-2 lead. John Buck’s run-scoring single pushed the lead to 4-2 and chased Peacock.

“I just kind of lost it,” Peacock said. “I’ll go back and look at some video and see what I was doing wrong. I felt great up into that point. It kind of stinks.”

Peacock allowed six hits and four runs in 5 1-3 innings.

Young (8-4) allowed two hits — both solo homers — and struck out a season-high eight. It was his most strikeouts since he fanned nine against Colorado in 2012. Fernando Rodney pitched a scoreless ninth for his 24th save.

Marwin Gonzalez and rookie Kike Hernandez homered for the Astros. Hernandez has three hits and two RBIs in two games since being called up from the minors.

“He’s swinging a good bat and that’s why he was in the lineup (Wednesday) and he’ll be in the lineup (Thursday),” Porter said of Hernandez.

He played designated hitter on Wednesday in place of the slumping Chris Carter, who is in an 0-for-15 skid and is hitting just .181.

Dustin Ackley had three hits for the second straight game after snapping an 0-for-21 skid Tuesday night, and Jones had a hit to finish the series with eight hits, six runs and two RBIs.

Seattle has scored 11 runs in the sixth inning in the last two games after managing just 31 runs in that inning in the first 83 games this season.

Peacock was replaced by Anthony Bass, who was making his first appearance since May 10 after being reinstated from the disabled list on Wednesday. Bass allowed a single by Ackley with two outs before retiring Brad Miller to end the inning.

Cano hit a two-out double in the seventh and scored on a single by Seager to push the lead to 5-2.

Young didn’t allow a hit until Gonzalez’s homer to right field with one out in the third inning. It was the second home run of the series for Gonzalez, who recently became Houston’s everyday shortstop when opening day starter Jonathan Villar was optioned to Triple-A.

Young got back on track after that, retiring the next seven batters. Houston’s didn’t get another hit until the home run by Hernandez with two outs in the fifth made it 2-0.

Young has given up 14 home runs this season, which leads the team, but 11 of those homers have been solo shots.

Peacock allowed a single to Ackley with two outs in the second inning before retiring the next six batters. Buck singled with two outs in the fourth, but Peacock still faced the minimum in that inning when the catcher was out trying to stretch it into a double.

Altuve grabbed the less-than-perfect throw from rookie left fielder Domingo Santana and crawled to the bag for the out.

Peacock threw a perfect fifth inning and struck out Endy Chavez to start the sixth before the trouble began.

NOTES: The Mariners are off Thursday before opening a series with the White Sox on Friday. … The Astros begin a four-game series against the Angels on Thursday. … Houston optioned LHP Kevin Chapman to Triple-A Oklahoma City to make room for Bass on the roster. … The Astros agreed to terms with international free agents RHP Franklin Perez, SS Miguelangel Sierra and C Brandon Benavente on Wednesday.

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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