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Brewers’ Garza shines in 5-1 loss to Rays

By WTOP Staff

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — The Milwaukee Brewers wasted a strong start by Matt Garza.

Alex Cobb struck out 12 in eight innings and Ben Zobrist drove in two runs Tuesday night, leading the Tampa Bay Rays to a 5-1 victory over the Brewers.

Garza, who pitched for the Rays for three seasons, gave up five hits and two walks in seven innings, striking out two. The game was tied at 1 when he departed.

“Cobb was really good,” Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said. “Split-finger was outstanding. He was tough to hit. Garza, I thought did a great job. He matched him, and that’s all you can ask.”

Cobb (7-6) gave up three hits and two walks in winning his third straight start. The right-hander is 5-0 in his last six starts.

Zobrist hit his ninth homer in the sixth inning for the only run off Garza. Zobrist’s double in the eighth off Will Smith (1-3) put the Rays ahead for the first time. Pinch-hitter Logan Forsythe followed with another RBI double and the Rays went on to a four-run inning.

“His location wasn’t good,” Roenicke said of Smith. “He left some pitches up, and he missed some spots by a lot, which he usually doesn’t do. He still throws some great pitches, but he’s not consistent with it.”

The Brewers, who have lost four of five, have scored two runs and had 12 hits in their last three games while striking out 30 times.

Scooter Gennett drove in the Brewers’ run with a sacrifice fly in the fifth after a leadoff single by Aramis Ramirez.

“That’s the disappointing part, when you’re getting the great pitching like we’ve been getting and the offense cools off,” Roenicke said. “We’ll get it going, but it’s hard to lose games when you starter goes out there and give you that kind of performance.”

Grant Balfour pitched the ninth for Tampa Bay. It was the Rays’ 11th win in 12 games.

“We lost to a team that’s really, really hot right now,” Garza said. “You make a mistake and they make you pay for it.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Brewers: The team expects to make a decision soon about the roster status of reliever Jim Henderson, who was scheduled to pitch in a rehab game late Tuesday.

Rays: Outfielder Wil Myers (broken right wrist) plans to take batting practice Saturday. Catcher Ryan Hanigan (strained left oblique) is sore after two days of batting practice and is expected to remain out until next week.

ON DECK

Brewers: Right-hander Yovani Gallardo (5-5) makes his first start against Tampa Bay Wednesday.

Rays: Left-hander David Price (11-7) looks to win his seventh consecutive start Wednesday.

WHIFF CITY

Milwaukee has struck out 24 times in two games against the Rays.

“They’re taking some extreme cuts at the ball,” Cobb said. “You see it from pitch one that they have one thing on their mind.”

Carlos Gomez made his first start at DH, and struck out in all four at-bats,

A RARE OCCURANCE

Milwaukee slugger Mark Reynolds had a sacrifice bunt in the fifth, which was his first since July 26, 2008, while with Arizona.

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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