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Phillies win 9-1 to finish 4-game sweep of Brewers

By WTOP Staff

GENARO C. ARMAS
AP Sports Writer

MILWAUKEE (AP) — In back-to-back innings, Jimmy Rollins broke up Matt Garza’s no-hit bid and a shutout.

Soon enough, a frustrating afternoon at the plate for the Philadelphia Phillies turned into a laugher at Miller Park.

Rollins’ two-out, two-run single in the eighth sparked a seven-run outburst that helped Philadelphia complete a four-game sweep of the Milwaukee Brewers with a 9-1 win Thursday.

What a nice way for the last-place Phillies to head home after a 10-game road trip that had started 1-5.

“I feel a lot better about the last four games. That’s something we can build on,” manager Ryne Sandberg said. “To see the offense come alive for a four-game series against good pitching, I think it’s a step in the right direction.”

Rollins greeted reliever Will Smith in the eighth by singling to left to drive home two runs. After throwing 108 pitches, Garza (6-6) had just been pulled from the game to a standing ovation but could only watch helplessly from the dugout as his shutout evaporated.

“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 sent 12 batters to the plate in the eighth and got RBI ground-rule doubles from Ryan Howard and Cody Asche. Philadelphia swept a four-game series for the first time since taking four in Cincinnati in 2011.

Now if Philadelphia can just carry over their winning streak back to Citizens Bank Park, where they are 18-27, maybe their fans will have something else to talk about this summer other than trade rumors.

“This series should help with that with some momentum,” Sandberg said about the subpar play at home.

Rookie David Buchanan (5-5) struck out five in seven innings for the win, tossing one of his best games of the season in allowing just four hits. Carlos Gomez scored the Brewers’ only run with a solo shot to left-center to lead off the sixth for 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 its lead in the NL Central despite having lost five straight and nine of 10.

“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.”

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.

Asche and Dominic Brown each joined Rollins with two RBIs 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.

“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,” manager Ron Roenicke said.

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

Howard added a two-run shot in the ninth for his 15th homer of the year.

Gomez’s homer was his 14th of the season. Otherwise, Milwaukee’s lineup continues to struggle. 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 for a weekend series.

NOTES: The Phillies swept Milwaukee in four games on the road for the first time. … 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. … The Brewers announced after the game that top pitching prospect Jimmy Nelson would be recalled from Triple-A Nashville to start Saturday against St. Louis, bumping Marco Estrada to the bullpen. Nelson was 10-2 in the minors, while Estrada had allowed a major league-high 27 homers. …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 hill.

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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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