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Wright, Duda power surging Mets past Marlins 7-1

By WTOP Staff

MIKE FITZPATRICK
AP Sports Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — All of a sudden, the New York Mets are putting on a pitching-and-power show at Citi Field.

David Wright went 4 for 4 with a mammoth homer, Lucas Duda also hit a long two-run shot and New York rocked recent nemesis Henderson Alvarez in a 7-1 victory over the Miami Marlins on Friday night.

Zack Wheeler shut down Miami again and Juan Lagares had three hits as the fourth-place Mets (43-50) improved to 6-2 on a 10-game homestand that takes them into the All-Star break.

“We can do some damage in the second half,” Wright said.

After struggling at the plate most of the season, the Mets began the night with the most home runs in the National League since June 17 and increased their total to 25 in the last 23 games.

As for the pitchers, New York starters own a 1.29 ERA in 42 innings over the past six games. Add it all up, and the Mets have won 12 of their last 18 at spacious Citi Field to even their home record at 23-23.

“It’s really hard to describe what it’s like playing here in the early season when it’s cold and it’s damp and the ball just doesn’t go anywhere,” manager Terry Collins said. “We told them, ‘Look, when it starts to warm up, it’s a different park. It’s a fair park.'”

Wheeler (5-8) pitched 6 2-3 strong innings and helped himself with an RBI double. He moved to 2-0 with a 1.04 ERA in five career starts against the Marlins, including a three-hitter in a 1-0 win June 19 that was his first major league complete game.

“It’s always nice to go out there and pitch with some runs on the board,” Wheeler said.

Alvarez (6-4) had been on quite a roll, allowing two runs or fewer in each of his last nine games. He was 4-0 with a 1.04 ERA during that stretch, and the Marlins had won his last 10 outings — a club record for one of their starters.

He was particularly tough on the Mets, too, going 4-0 with a 1.01 ERA in his past five starts against them. But this time, Alvarez was tagged for a season-high six earned runs and eight hits in five ineffective innings.

“He made a lot of mistakes over the plate on the center-cut fastballs and they did some damage with them,” Marlins manager Mike Redmond said. “He didn’t have the type of movement he’s had over his last few starts. That ended up being the difference.”

Lagares got the Mets started with a two-out double in the second and Ruben Tejada hit an RBI single, ending Alvarez’s scoreless streak against New York at 20 innings. Wheeler then short-hopped the left-field fence between the 358 and 370 signs for his second extra-base hit and fourth RBI in 58 career at-bats.

Wheeler came in batting .037 this season (1 for 27), and Mets pitchers were at a paltry .077 with 13 hits in 168 at-bats.

Curtis Granderson flied out to the center-field fence to end the inning.

Duda had no such trouble with the dimensions in the third, sending a shot soaring into the second deck in right for his 14th home run. Giancarlo Stanton never moved his feet in right field, arching his back to stare straight up as the ball sailed way over his head.

“My pitches weren’t really working today. I was leaving some pitches up in the zone,” Alvarez said through a translator. “I just wish it was like the last 10 starts.”

Wright did Duda one better in the fifth, driving an 0-2 pitch from Alvarez into the rarely reached second deck in left for his eighth home run.

“That’s about all I’ve got,” Wright said with a grin. “Usually they end up in that party deck, that first row. That one went a little bit farther.”

Kirk Nieuwenhuis hit a leadoff triple in the sixth and scored when Lagares grounded a single through the drawn-in infield.

Nieuwenhuis also made a tough play in the left-field corner and combined with Tejada on a strong relay that cut down Donovan Solano at the plate on Casey McGehee’s fourth-inning double.

Christian Yelich had an RBI single for Miami in the fifth.

NOTES: Stanton snapped an 0-for-14 slide with an eighth-inning single. … Wright also had three singles. His four hits matched a career high, done 19 times. … New York signed its first-round draft pick, outfielder Michael Conforto out of Oregon State. … Wheeler’s double was the fourth extra-base hit by a Mets pitcher this year. He also had a sacrifice bunt. … Marlins RHP Tom Koehler (6-7), from nearby New Rochelle, faces RHP Daisuke Matsuzaka (3-3) on Saturday.

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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