Skip to main content

Mets rough up Phillies bullpen in 11-2 rout

By WTOP Staff

RACHEL COHEN
AP Sports Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — The Phillies’ young relievers couldn’t keep them in it, and a close score quickly turned into a rout.

The Mets stomped Philadelphia 11-2 on Wednesday afternoon in what was a two-run game going into the bottom of the seventh. New York sent 10 men to the plate in the inning, scoring five insurance runs off the bullpen to take two of three in the series.

Jimmy Rollins, out of the lineup for the noon start after a night game, pinch-hit for Kyle Kendrick (5-11) to open the seventh and homered for the second straight day to pull the Phillies within 4-2. They had runners on first and third with two outs, but Jeurys Familia came on to retire Marlon Byrd.

With one out in the bottom of the seventh, the Phillies intentionally walked David Wright to bring up Lucas Duda, who was batting .153 against lefties. But he singled off Mario Hollands to put New York up 5-2.

Hollands’ replacement, Justin De Fratus, made an error later in the inning that led to two unearned runs.

“As of late the stuff hasn’t been as crisp,” manager Ryne Sandberg said of his relievers.

Ryan Howard broke out of an 0-for-12 slump with a two-out RBI double in the fifth that briefly put the Phillies up 1-0.

Juan Lagares opened the bottom of the inning with an infield hit when backup shortstop Andres Blanco double-clutched after ranging far to his left to field the grounder up the middle.

Ruben Tejada singled to bring up pitcher Zack Wheeler, who fouled off his first two bunt attempts. But with two strikes, he got the ball in play — and it was a good one, easily advancing the runners to second and third. Curtis Granderson walked to load the bases, then Kendrick’s wild pitch with Daniel Murphy at the plate tied the game. Three pitches later, Murphy put the Mets ahead 4-1 with his first homer since July 1.

“It happened quick,” Sandberg said. “(Kendrick) just wasn’t able to keep it at one or two runs there.”

Wheeler (6-8) gave up two runs and seven hits with four strikeouts in 6 2-3 innings — the sixth consecutive outing in which he allowed two runs or fewer.

Kendrick allowed four runs on seven hits in six innings.

“I felt pretty good about how I threw today,” he said. “It was just one bad inning.”

REVERE’S RIDES

Phillies CF Ben Revere showed off his speed by stealing third base in the fifth and ranging all over the outfield to make outs. He covers so much ground that Mets 1B Lucas Duda knew to stop watching when Revere tracked down his long drive to the wall in the fourth. Sure enough, Revere made a leaping catch to rob Duda of a home run.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Mets: LHP Dana Eveland was back on the mound two days after he left the game when he was struck on the pitching elbow by a line drive. The reliever struggled with his control after replacing Wheeler with two outs in the seventh. He walked Chase Utley, who stole second then advanced to third on a passed ball. Eveland hit Howard and was taken out for Familia, who got the Mets out of the jam.

ON DECK

Phillies: LHP Cliff Lee (4-5) faces Nationals LHP Gio Gonzalez (6-6) as Philadelphia opens a four-game series in Washington on Thursday.

Mets: The Mets have Thursday off, then send LHP Jonathon Niese (5-6) to the mound when they open a four-game home series against the Giants on Friday.

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
Read Next Story

Related News

Frustration grows in Venezuela as earthquake death toll reaches 1,430

Israel and Lebanon sign framework agreement with US in ‘first step’ toward peace, Rubio says

Trump-endorsed populist poised to become Colombia’s next president as rival challenges vote