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Phillies beat Mets 6-0 behind Hamels, Utley

By WTOP Staff

RACHEL COHEN
AP Sports Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Cole Hamels needed only one run. Chase Utley’s grand slam made sure he had plenty.

Hamels pitched eight shutout innings and finally got some support from the offense in the Phillies’ 6-0 win over the Mets on Tuesday night.

Hamels (6-5) has won three straight starts for the first time in almost two years, with 27 strikeouts and one walk in those victories.

“I’m able to throw everything in any sort of count,” he said. “That just puts all the momentum back onto my side.”

For a while, it looked as though this one might end like his last two, 2-1 wins over the Braves and Giants. But with the Phillies up 2-0 and two outs in the seventh, Mets starter Dillon Gee (4-4) suddenly lost his control.

Gee hit Ben Revere with a man on, then uncorked a wild pitch that put runners at second and third. After Gee walked Jimmy Rollins to load the bases, Josh Edgin came on for the lefty-lefty matchup against Utley.

The All-Star second baseman drilled a 2-2 pitch into the upper deck in right field for his fifth career grand slam and first since 2010. He has 32 career home runs against the Mets, second to teammate Ryan Howard (40) among active players. Rollins is third after hitting his 29th on Tuesday.

Hamels retired the final 13 batters to lower his ERA to 2.55.

“He just really got in a groove,” manager Ryne Sandberg said. “With the run support and the lead, he just pounded the strike zone.”

He wasn’t throwing his fastball quite as hard Tuesday, but it didn’t matter with the way his changeup left batters flailing.

“I bet I had four hitters come back and say the changeup’s dynamic tonight,” Mets manager Terry Collins said. “He had it all working.”

A day after managing just one run off 13 hits, the Phillies scored six runs on seven hits thanks to three two-out homers. Rollins had a solo home run in the third, then Grady Sizemore added another in the fourth.

Sizemore’s drive off the right-field foul pole was his first homer with the Phillies. The veteran outfielder was released by Boston on June 18 and signed a minor league contract with Philadelphia a week later.

Since being called up July 11, Sizemore is hitting .314 in 14 games.

“He’s really shown professionalism as a hitter,” Sandberg said. “Tonight he showed some power. But he’s been using the whole field and hitting for average and squaring balls up. I’ve been impressed.”

FRUSTRATED BY PHILLIES

Gee allowed five runs on five hits in 6 2-3 innings, striking out two and walking three. He has lost three straight starts.

“The most frustrating part is I thought I threw the ball a lot better than I had in the previous couple of outings,” Gee said. “When the end result still isn’t there it’s very frustrating.”

Gee’s 7.11 career ERA against the Phillies is his highest against any opponent for at least two starts.

HOT HAMELS

Hamels has pitched at least seven innings in 14 of his last 16 starts, with a 1.90 ERA over that stretch. He’s allowed just two earned runs in 23 innings in his last three outings.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Phillies: Right fielder Marlon Byrd got the day off after fouling a ball off his foot in a four-hit night Monday. Sizemore started in his place.

Mets: Left-hander Dana Eveland was optimistic he could pitch Wednesday after the reliever was struck in the pitching elbow by a line drive Monday.

ON DECK

Zack Wheeler (5-8) starts for the Mets against Kyle Kendrick (5-10) on Wednesday afternoon in the finale of the three-game series.

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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