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Brewers get swept by Phillies after falling 9-1

By WTOP Staff

GENARO C. ARMAS
AP Sports Writer

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Sitting near the dugout railing after a strong outing, Matt Garza could only watch helplessly as his shutout evaporated.

A seven-run outburst in the eighth inning by the Philadelphia Phillies led to a 9-1 loss for the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday. It was hard to believe that Garza had a no-hitter going into the seventh.

Instead, the Brewers got swept in four games by the last-place team in the NL East. Milwaukee has lost five straight and nine of 10 heading into an important series this weekend with the St. Louis Cardinals.

With the offense dormant and the bullpen struggling, manager Ron Roenicke is looking for answers.

“The longer it keeps going, the worse things go for us, it gets a little tougher,” he said. “We’ll come back tomorrow, talk about some things and see if we can get this turned around.”

By Thursday night, the Brewers had already made one change after announcing that top pitching prospect Jimmy Nelson would be recalled from Triple-A Nashville to start Saturday’s game against the Cardinals. Nelson, who is 10-2 with a 1.46 ERA in the minors, would take the rotation spot of Marco Estrada, who was bumped to the bullpen after allowing a league-leading 27 homers in 18 starts.

Garza has been much better. Yet the Brewers couldn’t capitalize Thursday with their bats in a slumber.

Jimmy Rollins broke up Garza’s no-hit bid with a single in the seventh before sparking a seven-run outburst an inning later with a two-out, two-run single off once-lights out reliever Will Smith.

Garza (6-6) had just been pulled from the game to a standing ovation but instead got tagged with a tough-luck loss.

“It happens, man. My job is to not get guys on base. You leave two guys on, especially two guys with speed, and you pay for it,” Garza said. “But it is what it is. You turn the page. We can’t dwell on it too long.”

The Phillies sent 12 batters to the plate in the eighth and got RBI ground-rule doubles from Ryan Howard and Cody Asche. Rookie David Buchanan (5-5) struck out five in seven innings for the win.

Carlos Gomez scored the Brewers’ only run with a solo shot to left-center to lead off the sixth for his 14th homer and a 1-0 lead with Garza’ no-hit bid still intact.

It ended quickly after Rollins led off the seventh with a hard chopper past diving first baseman Mark Reynolds for a single into right.

What followed was a swift and startling change of fortunes for a team clinging to the NL Central lead. After climbing to a season-high 19 games over .500 on June 28, the Brewers have watched their 6 1-2-game lead whittle away with second-place St. Louis due in town.

Perhaps more disappointing for the Brewers is that they were swept at home by the last-place team in the NL East that had been swept in its previous series in Pittsburgh.

“I look at the final score and that’s ridiculous. We’re way too good of a team, we have way too good of a bullpen to let a game get away like that,” Roenicke said.

It was another tough outing for Smith, the hard-throwing left-hander who was off to such a good start this season there was talk that he should make the All-Star team as a setup man.

No longer. Smith failed to record an out in the eighth and was charged with five runs, three hits and two walks. His ERA ballooned from 2.16 to 3.24.

Roenicke said he’s looking for Smith keep his stuff lower in the zone.

“Every pitcher goes through it when you struggle. I’m just in the middle of it right now, so you just kind of grind away and keep it going,” Smith said.

Asche and Dominic Brown had two RBIs each in the eighth. Things were going so well for Philadelphia that pinch-hitter Cesar Hernandez got to come up to the plate twice in the inning.

“Baseball is a funny game. (Garza) goes from a no-hitter to getting a loss and we get no-hit and then win it,” Rollins said.

The Phillies’ eighth finally ended after Hernandez’s infield single was overturned to an out following a Brewers replay challenge.

NOTES: The Phillies swept Milwaukee in four games on the road for the first time. … Brewers OF Ryan Braun returned to the lineup after missing a few games with a sore back. He hit fifth for the first time since 2008. … RHP Yovani Gallardo (5-5) opens the St. Louis series on Friday, while Philadelphia returns home to open a weekend series with Washington by sending RHP A.J. Burnett (5-8) to the mound.

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Follow Genaro Armas at http://twitter.com/GArmasAP

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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