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Braves drop sixth straight with 4-3 loss to Padres

By WTOP Staff

SAN DIEGO (AP) — There is very little going right for Evan Gattis and the Atlanta Braves.

Everth Cabrera singled in the winning run in the 10th inning to give the San Diego Padres their second consecutive extra-innings win, a 4-3 victory over the slumping Braves on Sunday.

It was also the Braves’ sixth straight loss, all coming on an eight-game road trip.

Gattis had a huge base running gaffe that cost Atlanta a key run in the seventh inning.

“I screwed up,” Gattis said. “I made a mistake there. That’s what it was about.”

Said Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez: “Little mistakes like that are what get blown up when you don’t score any runs.”

Will Venable led off the 10th with an infield single off David Hale (3-4) and Alexi Amarista walked. The Braves got a double play on Renee Rivera’s sacrifice bunt attempt with Amarista taking second. Chris Nelson walked to bring up Cabrera. After the Padres pulled off a double steal, Cabrera lined a hard single past second baseman Ramiro Pena.

Tim Stauffer (4-2) pitched one inning for the win.

The Braves pushed the tying run across in the ninth off closer Joaquin Benoit. Jason Heyward hit a leadoff double and Gattis then hit a comebacker to Benoit. Heyward broke for third and Benoit’s throw was on the bag, but Yangervis Solarte failed to field the throw for an error as it went into foul territory, allowing Heyward to score and tie the game at 3.

Tommy Medica, who hit a pair of two-run homers on Friday night, put the Padres ahead 3-2 in the eighth with a leadoff solo homer off Anthony Varvaro. Medica was 8 for 12 with five RBIs in the three-game sweep of Atlanta.

The Braves tied the game at 2-all in the seventh when they finally got to Tyson Ross on Heyward’s RBI triple and a run-scoring double by Gattis.

Nick Vincent came in and gave up a double to Chris Johnson off the left-field wall but Gattis didn’t run on the play and was held at third base. Vincent loaded the bases with a walk before striking out pinch hitter Emilio Bonifacio. Vincent then got B.J. Upton to ground into a third-to-home-to-first double play.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Braves: LHP Jonny Venters felt no ill effect the day after his light bullpen session on Saturday. Venters has not pitched since undergoing Tommy John surgery in May 2013.

Padres: C Yasmani Grandal was back in the starting lineup at first base after not starting three straight games with fluid in his right knee.

ON DECK

Braves: Alex Wood (7-8, 3.30 ERA) opens the club’s two-game set at Seattle on Tuesday night against Felix Hernandez (11-3, 2.01). Atlanta beat Hernandez the only time it faced him on June 29, 2011.

Padres: After an off day Monday , the club opens a six-game road trip with rookie Jessie Hahn (7-2, 2.01) opposing the Twins Phil Hughes (10-8, 4.12). Hahn has fared better away from pitcher-friendly Petco Park where he is 3-2 with a 2.43 ERA in five starts. Hahn has won all four of his road starts with an ERA of 1.50.

WHO’S ON THIRD

Atlanta allowed a Padres base runner to steal third base uncontested for the second time in three games. On Sunday, Cabrera took off for third on ball four to Tommy Medica. C Evan Gattis cocked his arm to throw but 3B Chris Johnson never moved from his position. On Friday night, Medica stole third standing without a throw as Minor held the ball behind the mound and Johnson was far off the bag.

MINOR NOT GOING TO MINORS

Braves LHP Mike Minor will not be sent to the minors despite is recent struggles. The Braves decided against sending him to the minors to allow him to work on his control issue. The lefty has given up six earned runs in three of his four starts, including Friday night’s 10-1 to the Padres.

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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