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No-hit duel into 7th, Mets’ deGrom tops SF’s Peavy

By WTOP Staff

HOWIE RUMBERG
AP Sports Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Always calm on the mound, shaggy-haired rookie Jacob deGrom shook off all the zeroes on the scoreboard and just went with the flow.

DeGrom outpitched Jake Peavy in a tantalizing hitless duel that carried into the seventh inning Saturday night before the New York Mets broke loose and beat the San Francisco Giants 4-2.

“I knew it at the fifth inning, so it was kind of a mental battle,” deGrom said, “but I was sticking to the plan we had and I was going right after the guys.”

With an energized crowd trading “Lets go Mets!” and “Let’s go Giants!” chants, Pablo Sandoval doubled off deGrom with two outs in the top of the seventh for the game’s first hit.

Peavy was perfect until Daniel Murphy hit a one-out double into the bottom of the seventh on a ball that left fielder Michael Morse misjudged. The Mets went on to score four runs to back deGrom (6-5), and the rookie won win his fifth straight start.

Peavy (1-11) lost his 11th decision in a row, a streak that started with Boston.

“At the end of the day, you are trying to put up zeroes and their guy did an outstanding job. I did not do enough,” Peavy said.

This was the second time this season that a game didn’t have any hits until there were two outs in the top of the seventh inning. Milwaukee’s Matt Garza and Atlanta’s Aaron Harang each had their no-hit bids broken up in the seventh on April 2.

Peavy had never taken a no-hit try past 5 1-3 innings, but the 2007 NL Cy Young Award winner was dealing in his second start for San Francisco.

Murphy’s double came soon after there was a brief delay when Sandoval ran into the third base railing chasing a foul ball.

Morse took his first step in on Murphy’s line drive and couldn’t recover, setting off the Mets’ four-run inning. Travis d’Arnaud had a sacrifice fly, Juan Lagares hit an RBI single and Wilmer Flores added a two-run double.

“I was playing shallow in, and he hit it pretty good, it just kept going away towards the line,” Morse said.

Both deGrom and Peavy got some help in keeping the bases clear until Brandon Belt walked with two outs in the fifth.

The Mets backed their starter with fine glovework, while Peavy benefited from a replay call. DeGrom, batting eighth in the Mets’ lineup was initially safe for an infield hit in the third, but was the ruling was reversed.

DeGrom was pulled with one out in the eighth following pinch-hitter Travis Ishikawa’s two-run single. In a career-high 7 1-3 innings, the lanky 26-year-old allowed four hits and two runs. He struck out seven.

Jenrry Mejia put runners on the corners in the ninth but got former St. John’s star Joe Panik to ground out for his 16th save.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Giants: Catcher Hector Sanchez, on the seven-day concussion list since July 26, went through a full workout. Manager Bruce Bochy says he’s not sure if Sanchez will need rehab games before he returns.

Mets: Right-hander Jeremy Hefner made his fifth minor league start since having Tommy John surgery Aug. 28. He allowed two runs and two hits over four innings for Class A St. Lucie.

UP NEXT

Giants: Madison Bumgarner (12-8) takes a 2-0 record with a 1.80 ERA into his fourth career start against the Mets. Bumgarner can hit, too. He has two grand slams this year.

Mets: The 41-year-old Bartolo Colon (10-8) is going for his 200th win.

MAGIC GLOVES

Mets: Lagares, left fielder Eric Young Jr. and first baseman Lucas Duda all made spectacular catches early to help protect deGrom’s gem. DeGrom was most grateful for Lagares’ diving attempt on Sandoval’s sinking liner to left-center that broke up the no-hit bid.

Giants: Hunter Pence made a sliding catch in foul territory in right field to help Peavy’s perfect-game bid in the sixth inning.

DANGEROUS FALL

Before the game, a fan injured his arm when he fell over a railing above the left-field wall and landed on the warning track.

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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