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Hammel fails again for Athletics in loss to Astros

By WTOP Staff

HOUSTON (AP) — In the first inning against Houston, Jason Hammel picked up right where he left off since coming to the Oakland Athletics.

That was not good.

Hammel gave up six runs in the first, struggling with his command and Oakland lost 8-1 to the Astros on Wednesday.

The Athletics are searching for the pitcher they thought they acquired from the Cubs, and so is Hammel.

“There’s not much to explain; you can see it all for yourself,” he said. “I’m a completely different pitcher. Just keep making the same mistakes over and over. Right now it doesn’t look to good but it’s a long season and I’ve been through this before.”

Hammel (0-4) has made four starts since the A’s acquired him with pitcher Jeff Samardzija from the Cubs earlier this month. Hammel was 8-5 before the trade.

“He had trouble getting the ball down again and in the next couple of innings when he got the ball down he was effective,” A’s manager Bob Melvin told reporters. “That’s where the movement takes over, the downhill plane and everything that makes him successful. And he had a tough time finishing guys off when he was ahead.”

Melvin said he expects Hammel to make his next start.

Hammel’s day ended in the fifth when Jonathan Singleton hit his eighth home run.

Dallas Keuchel pitched a four-hitter for Houston and Robbie Grossman homered to cap the six-run first.

Keuchel (10-7) pitched his fourth complete game of the season, tying Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw for the major league lead. And the Astros, 20 games under .500, won the series from the AL West-leading Athletics.

“(The A’s) do a lot of things well,” Keuchel said. “To get a complete game and get a win is something special in its own right.”

Marc Krauss beat out Oakland’s try for a double play in the first, and the Astros went on to match a season high for runs in an inning.

Keuchel struck out five and walked three.

Manager Bo Porter lauded Keuchel’s “plus-command” and willingness to use his secondary pitches. As he mixed his pitches up, Keuchel kept he A’s guessing and forcing the type of contact that can make for a good day.

Josh Donaldson hit his 23rd homer for Oakland’s only run.

Krauss hustled for an RBI grounder that kept the first inning going. After Singleton walked, Matt Dominguez singled home a run, and another scored when center fielder Billy Burns bobbled the ball.

“I’ll tell you, I think the biggest play of the game was Jason Castro going hard into second base and Marc Krauss absolutely giving the effort in which he gave getting down the line,” Porter said. “That’s the way the game is supposed to be played. To both of those guys’ credit, they did a tremendous job in that situation.”

Carlos Corporan added an RBI single and Grossman, a late addition for the ill Chris Carter, homered into the right-field seats.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Athletics: Outfielder Coco Crisp missed his fourth game in a row with a neck strain. Melvin said the club will know more about his condition when it returns home, but said Crisp wouldn’t play Friday.

Astros: Reliever Josh Zeid is scheduled to have surgeries on both feet in the next six weeks that will end his 2014 season. Carter was out with a stomach illness.

ALTUVE EXTENDS STREAK, CESPEDES’ ENDS

With his line drive single in the sixth inning Jose Altuve ran his hitting streak to 12 games tying his season high. Yoenis Cespedes was unable to continue his streak of games with an RBI, going 0 for 4 and ending his run six.

DONALDSON PUNISHES ASTROS

Donaldson’s second inning home run was his fifth against the Astros this season. .

ON DECK

Athletics: Following an off-day Thursday, the A’s will start Sonny Gray at home against Kansas City. He will go for his 13th win and build on his 2.65 ERA

Astros: Jarred Cosart (9-7, 4.41) will start Friday night at home against Toronto.

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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