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A’s bats quieted for 2nd straight day by M’s

By WTOP Staff

JOSH LIEBESKIND
Associated Press

SEATTLE (AP) — Facing two of baseball’s best pitchers on back-to-back days was more than the struggling Oakland Athletics’ offense could deal with.

After Seattle’s Felix Hernandez stumped the A’s on Friday, Hisashi Iwakuma quieted Oakland’s bats in the Mariners’ 6-2 victory on Saturday night.

Iwakuma pitched a career-high 8 2-3 innings and fanned five of the first six batters he retired en route to eight strikeouts overall. The right-hander allowed five hits and faced the minimum in all but three innings.

“Obviously, you hate getting beat by those guys. We get beat by them quite a bit,” Oakland’s Brandon Moss said. “They’re a really good one-two. They’re a tough at-bat, for sure. They get you thinking about things that you probably shouldn’t be thinking about because you’re thinking about what their ball is going to do.

“You’re trying to map it out in your head where you want it to start, and it’s like they’re always one pitch ahead of you.”

The A’s got only one man to second in the first eight innings and were held scoreless until Moss’ two-out, two-run home run off Iwakuma in the ninth, which snapped his 20-inning scoreless streak.

“Our offense, we’ve not been as good as we certainly have for the better part of the half,” A’s manager Bob Melvin said. “Coco (Crisp) is out, (Josh) Reddick is out, (Alberto) Callaspo is out now … and struggling some in the middle of the order.

“It has been a bit of a fight to score a bunch of runs. And on top of that, two well-pitched games against us.”

In his last three starts, Iwakuma is 3-0 with a 0.42 ERA (3 earned runs in 21 2-3 innings), 25 strikeouts and no walks. Despite falling an out shy of his first career complete game, the right-hander got plenty of run support in the form of a pair of home runs.

Kyle Seager’s fifth-inning home run — a two-run shot — was his 15th of the season, and 13th at Safeco Field. His 42 RBIs in 47 home games lead the American League. Robinson Cano added an eighth-inning, three-run home run — his seventh of the season — to give the Mariners a 6-0 lead.

Oakland starter Jesse Chavez allowed three runs and a career-high 10 hits. He walked two and struck out six in 5 2-3 innings.

“He battled,” Melvin said. “He gave up some hits, but really just the Seager home run was the big blow.”

Dustin Ackley gave the Mariners a 1-0 lead in the second with a single that scored Corey Hart from second. Hart came within feet of hitting a home run, but the ball caromed off the top of the wall in left-center field, and the Seattle designated hitter settled for a double.

A’s left fielder Yoenis Cespedes threw out Willie Bloomquist trying to score from second in the eighth. It was Cespedes’ major league-leading 11th outfield assist this year, and his 30th since 2012.

NOTES: Oakland’s Stephen Vogt extended his career-high hitting streak to 12 games with a single in the sixth. … Oakland OF Josh Reddick (strained right knee) is scheduled to start playing rehab games in the next couple days. … Oakland LHP Drew Pomeranz (broken right hand) allowed a run and one hit, and struck out seven in four innings during a rehab start for Triple-A Sacramento. … Seattle LHP James Paxton (shoulder soreness) threw a three-inning simulated game and is expected to start for Single-A Everett on Thursday. … Seattle’s Chris Young and Oakland’s Sonny Gray will face off Sunday in the series finale.

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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