Skip to main content

Colon’s latest rough start dooms Mets vs. Braves

By WTOP Staff

IRA PODELL
AP Sports Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Bartolo Colon’s final line against the Atlanta Braves didn’t look so bad. If not for the first inning, it would’ve been a whole lot better for the 41-year-old right-hander and the rest of the New York Mets.

Sound familiar? It sure does to Colon, who can’t quite figure out why he is struggling so much at the start.

Atlanta scored two runs in the first and added one in the third, then hung on for a 3-1 victory over the Mets on Thursday night to avoid a four-game sweep.

Colon threw extra pitches in the bullpen before the game to try to simulate a later inning when he took the mound, but to no avail.

“The first inning is very important,” Colon said through a translator. “I am just having a little trouble, and I am going to work to change that up.

“It really helped for me to get in the bullpen before and throw more than usual. It really warmed me up, loosened me up.”

He just couldn’t prevent the damage. And with a lack of clutch hitting by Colon’s teammates, three runs were enough for Braves starter Aaron Harang to beat the Mets.

Colon (8-8) hung around for eight innings but lost his third consecutive start. He allowed three runs and 10 hits with no walks and seven strikeouts.

Colon yielded nine hits in the first four innings — at least two in each frame — and didn’t retire Atlanta in order until the fifth. He did it again in the sixth, and his run of 10 straight outs was broken up by B.J. Upton’s seventh-inning single.

While New York leads the major leagues with 62 runs in the first inning, Colon has given up 18 runs in the opening inning of his 18 starts, and opponents are batting .349 (29 for 83).

“We’ve got to fix it,” Mets manager Terry Collins said. “He’s too good a pitcher. This guy gave us eight pretty good innings, but we can’t keep falling deep behind. When we’re swinging great, anybody can fall behind, but when you’re facing a good team you have to give yourself a chance.”

The Mets had some opportunities against Harang, but not enough. He allowed four hits in seven innings, and Craig Kimbrel got four outs for his 28th save in 32 attempts.

“It’s huge,” Harang said after the Braves moved within one percentage point of first-place Washington in the NL East. “Getting swept is tough in a three-game series. A four-game series is just like somebody stepping on your throat.”

New York hasn’t swept a four-game set from Atlanta since July 1989. The Mets had used timely hitting to win five of the first six on their 10-game homestand.

“I thought Aaron pitched a great game,” Collins said. “We didn’t have great swings on him. In the fifth inning we had a chance to get back in the game.

“We’ve come up with a big hit during those innings lately, and tonight we didn’t get it.”

Harang (9-6), who finished last season with the Mets, won his fourth straight start and fifth game in six outings, topping New York for the second time this season in three appearances — allowing a total of two runs. He struck out two and walked four.

Andrelton Simmons, Freddie Freeman and Ramiro Pena all had two hits to pace the Atlanta offense.

The Mets cut the lead to 3-1 in the third on David Wright’s RBI single, and threatened for more in the fifth when they loaded the bases with two outs. Harang then induced Travis d’Arnaud, moved up to fifth in the order for the first time this season, to fly out.

Colon struck out Upton looking in the first, but Simmons rolled a single past the outstretched glove of second baseman Daniel Murphy and scored on Freeman’s ringing double to right. Justin Upton struck out looking before Jason Heyward blooped a single to left that scored Freeman to make it 2-0.

The rally ended when Tommy La Stella took the third called third strike of the inning.

The Braves threatened again in the second, putting runners on first and second on back-to-back hits by Christian Bethancourt and Pena. Harang struck out attempting to bunt, and Bethancourt was caught trying to get to third after a long rundown to complete the double play. The missed bunt was only the second failed swing by the Braves in Colon’s first 31 pitches.

After two singles to open the Braves third, Atlanta made it 3-0 on Justin Upton’s double-play grounder that scored Simmons.

“I am not sure he has a true feel for his off-speed stuff in the first inning,” Collins said of Colon. “We certainly have searched and searched and charted and haven’t come up with the answers.”

NOTES: Colon batted eighth for the first time, with Eric Young Jr. in the No. 9 slot. Young entered with a .556 average (5 for 9) and four walks against Harang and went 1 for 3. … Braves 3B Chris Johnson, who was 2 for 12 in the first three games of the series, sat out in favor of Pena.

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