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Beckett struggles again, Dodgers lose 7-3 to Cubs

By WTOP Staff

JOE RESNICK
Associated Press

LOS ANGELES (AP) — After failing to get past the fifth inning for the fifth consecutive outing, Josh Beckett was beating himself up pretty badly after a loss to the lowly Chicago Cubs.

The three-time All-Star was lifted with none out in the fourth after giving up three hits, including a tiebreaking two-run homer by Chris Coghlan, and the Los Angeles Dodgers ended up with a 7-3 defeat on Sunday in the rubber game of the series.

“I’ve got to do a better job of keeping the team in the game, not killing our bullpen every time I pitch,” said Beckett, who struck out Ryan Sweeney with the bases loaded to end the third.

“You’ve got to make better pitches. Those guys are big league hitters. If you don’t make pitches to these guys, they get hit. I didn’t throw enough strikes, and the strikes I did throw weren’t good enough.”

Beckett (6-6) is 3-5 with a 3.30 ERA in 10 starts since his no-hitter on May 25 at Philadelphia, and has surrendered five homers in his first three starts off the disabled list after missing two weeks with a sore hip. One of his biggest problems, according to manager Don Mattingly, is the difficulty he has with his preparation between assignments.

“In between starts is in between starts. You can’t let that affect how your day goes,” Beckett said after his first start against the Cubs since August 2005. “Physically, I’m able to pitch. I’m not worried about my hip. I felt better today, but the results are just as (poor).

“I didn’t throw a bullpen in between my last two starts, because I feel like it’s robbing Peter to pay Paul,” he added. “I threw some flat ground, which kind of substitutes as my bullpens nowadays.”

Los Angeles’ NL West lead was trimmed to 2 1/2 games over San Francisco, which won 9-0 at the New York Mets.

Matt Kemp trimmed Chicago’s lead to 3-2 in the sixth with his 13th homer and fifth in six games. But Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo helped preserve the lead in the seventh, making a leaping grab of Carl Crawford’s line drive and turning it into an inning-ending double play by trapping Drew Butera off second.

The Cubs made it 6-2 in the eighth with John Baker’s RBI groundout and a two-run single by pinch-hitter Starlin Castro, who was rested after starting each of the team’s first 109 games. The Dodgers got a run in the eighth off Pedro Strop, but Luis Valbuena responded in the ninth against Chris Perez with his 10th homer.

Edwin Jackson (6-11) allowed two runs and seven hits, struck out six and walked none. The right-hander was 0-4 with a 7.39 ERA in his previous seven starts since beating Pittsburgh 6-3 on June 20 at Wrigley Field.

SMELL THE WOOD?

Andre Ethier struck out in his sixth consecutive plate appearance before Scott Van Slyke pinch-hit for him in the sixth and also struck out.

SEEMS LIKE OLD TIMES

Jackson made his big league debut with the Dodgers on Sept. 9, 2003, beating Randy Johnson and the Diamondbacks 4-1 at Arizona on his 20th birthday in a game that lasted just 2 hours and 22 minutes.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cubs: Newly acquired left-hander Felix Doubront had a bullpen session at Dodger Stadium while continuing his rehab from a left calf strain.

Dodgers: Catcher A.J. Ellis missed his second straight game because of a sore right knee, which was struck by a foul tip off Rizzo’s bat in the sixth inning of Friday’s series opener. … Butera was struck in the groin by a foul tip off the bet of Nate Schierholtz on the fourth inning and was given as much time as he needed to collect himself before going back behind the plate.

ON DECK

Cubs: Left-hander Travis Wood (7-9, 5.10 ERA) matches up against Colorado lefty Brett Anderson (1-3 3.12 ERA) Tuesday night in the opener of a three-game series at Coors Field.

Dodgers: Their next four games are against the Angels, with right-hander Zack Greinke (12-6, 2.65 ERA) opposing Garrett Richards (11-4, 2.74 ERA) on Monday night at Chavez Ravine. The Dodgers have won only one season series from the Angels in the previous 14 years, going 4-2 in 2006.

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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