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Pirates erupt in final 2 innings, beat Arizona 9-4

By WTOP Staff

BOB BAUM
AP Sports Writer

PHOENIX (AP) — The Pittsburgh Pirates didn’t just rally, they routed the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Josh Harrison — who struck out four times the previous night — tripled, doubled and scored twice and the Pirates erupted in the final two innings to beat the Diamondbacks 9-4 on Friday night.

Pittsburgh scored the last nine runs, including eight in the eighth and ninth.’

It was the 27th comeback win for the Pirates.

“It’s just what we do,” Harrison said. “We know we’re not done ’til the last out.”

Arizona’s All-Star Paul Goldschmidt was hit in the left hand by a pitch from Ernesto Frieri in the ninth inning. The hand was covered with a bandage afterward and Goldschmidt said he hadn’t gotten the X-ray results.

Jordy Mercer had an RBI double, Michael Martinez and Russell Martin RBI singles and Travis Snider a two-run single in the Pirates’ tiebreaking five-run ninth.

“It’s backyard baseball,” Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle said. “It’s nothing spectacular. We just play.”

Tony Watson (8-1) pitched a scoreless eighth to get the win. Bo Schultz (0-1), recalled from Triple-A Reno on Tuesday, gave up all five in the ninth.

While some of Goldschmidt’s teammates were suspicious he was hit on purpose, he didn’t think so.

“Guys have to try and get outs. What do you want them to do? Just throw it down the middle? They pitch inside as a team. We do it too. We want our pitchers to be able to pitch inside. You don’t want to see anyone get hurt but sometimes it may or may not happen.”

Ender Inciarte’s three-run homer had helped Arizona take a 4-0 lead through five innings and Vidal Nuno appeared headed for his first victory in five starts since coming in the trade that sent Brandon McCarthy to the New York Yankees.

However, the Pirates battered the Arizona bullpen with 10 hits in the last two innings.

In the fifth, Arizona manager Kirk Gibson challenged a wild pitch call that ended up with Didi Gregorius on third, but with two outs. He won the challenge, the review determining that the batter Nuno was hit in the foot by the pitch. Two pitches later, with runners at first and second, Inciarte hit his second homer of the season, and his career, into the right field seats.

After the game was over, the Diamondbacks, upset that Goldschmidt had been hit, got into an argument with Martin about it. The dugouts emptied but no one did more than talk.

“I don’t think anybody on their side was happy that Goldschmidt got hit,” Hurdle said. “It wasn’t any intent on Ernesto’s part. … Nobody wants to hit a guy in that situation.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Pirates: Right-hander Gerrit Cole, out since July 5 with shoulder fatigue, was scratched from his scheduled rehab start Saturday and will have a bullpen session instead. Outfielder Starling Marte, on the concussion list since July 23, will make a rehab start Saturday for Triple-A Indianapolis and could be back with the big league club within a week.

Diamondbacks: A.J. Pollock, on the DL with a fractured right hand since June 1, had one at bat and played center field in his first rehab game in the Arizona League. Infielder Cliff Pennington, out since June 2 with a sprained left thumb, is 8 for 29 (.421) in five rehab games with the Diamondbacks’ Arizona League squad.

ON DECK

The Pirates can gain at least a split of the series with a win Saturday night.

Vance Worley (4-1, 2.54 ERA), coming off his first career shutout in a 5-0 win at Colorado, will try to stop the Pittsburgh skid. Rookie Chase Anderson (6-4, 3.34) goes for Arizona. He allowed one run on three hits in seven innings in his last outing, a no-decision at Cincinnati.

In Arizona’s four-run fifth, Pittsburgh had a hit batter, throwing error by catcher Russell Martin, a wild pitch that scored a run, a throwing error and a walk.

NICE PLAY

Brent Morel, in his fourth start at third base since coming up from Triple-A Indianapolis, made a diving stop of Jordan Pacheco’s grounder in the sixth. He got up and threw to first, where Gaby Sanchez stretched as far as he could to his right to make the catch for the out.

RARE ABSENCE

Goldschmidt was out of the starting ineup for only the second time in 109 games this season. He entered the game on a double-switch in the ninth.

TRIPLE-A DIAMONDBACKS: Five of Arizona’s starters opened the season in the minor leagues.

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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