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Cubs hint at better days despite 4-0 loss to Rays

By WTOP Staff

ANDREW SELIGMAN
AP Sports Writer

CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Cubs at least are sprinkling hints of better days to come even though they keep piling up losses.

Never mind that they fell 4-0 to the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday and got shut down by Jake Odorizzi, there were a few good signs.

Javier Baez fought off nine pitches before driving a double in an otherwise rough game for him, and Arismendy Alcantara made several sparkling plays in center field.

“Things are definitely headed in a positive direction,” Cubs starter Edwin Jackson said.

Odorizzi struck out nine in six scoreless innings and combined with two relievers on a five-hitter for Tampa Bay.

Evan Longoria drove in a run and scored two. Yunel Escobar added two hits and three RBIs. Ben Zobrist had two hits and scored twice for the Rays, who improved to a major league-best 15-6 since July 12. They will try to complete the three-game sweep on Sunday.

Odorizzi (8-9) gave up three hits and didn’t walk anyone. The right-hander came within two strikeouts of his career high after getting hit hard in a loss to the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday.

Jackson (6-12) allowed four runs — three earned — and five hits in six innings. He is 1-5 in his past nine starts.

Baez had a tough day overall, going 1 for 4 and committing his first error.

“He wants to prove to the whole world that he belongs here,” manager Rick Renteria said. “That’s part of the conversations — ‘You don’t have to carry the team on your back. You just have to be yourself. You have a lot of teammates.'”

Baez had three strikeouts after whiffing four times Friday in his Wrigley Field debut.

The second baseman’s error came when he dropped a throw from Luis Valbuena after the third baseman made a diving stop on a ball hit by Longoria with a runner on first in the sixth inning.

Jackson then walked Matt Joyce to load the bases, and Escobar made it 4-0 with a two-run single.

The Rays also scored two in the fourth when Longoria doubled in a run and came around on Escobar’s base hit.

Kirby Yates pitched two perfect innings, striking out three. Jake McGee then gave up two hits but struck out three in a scoreless ninth.

The Rays took a 2-0 lead in a fourth inning that featured some unusual plays.

Zobrist led off with a ground-rule double to the right-field corner off Justin Ruggiano’s glove that stuck in the ivy.

He moved up when center fielder Alcantara dove to his left to snag James Loney’s liner and came around on Longoria’s double. Escobar added a two-out RBI single that Ruggiano pulled up on before making a flat-footed throw to the infield with the runner headed home.

“It was just a mental mistake by me,” he said.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Rays: Outfielder Wil Myers (broken right wrist) was scheduled to start a rehab assignment Saturday with Triple-A Durham and serve as the designated hitter.

Cubs: Renteria said newcomer Felix Doubront (strained left calf) “looked good” during a bullpen session but had no word on a possible rehab assignment. The left-hander was acquired from Boston on July 30.

ON DECK

Rays: Right-hander Alex Cobb (7-6, 3.52 ERA) looks to continue his strong stretch as the Rays wrap up their three-game series against the Cubs. He has allowed two runs or fewer in five straight starts.

Cubs: Left-hander Travis Wood (7-9, 5.08) looks for his first victory in nearly two months. An All-Star last season, Wood is 0-4 with a 6.10 ERA in nine starts since a win at Philadelphia on June 15.

A LITTLE EARLY

MLB Advanced Media, using the Cubs’ Twitter account, jumped the gun a little bit when it posted the Rays beat Chicago 4-0. That turned out to be accurate, but the problem was the game was still in the ninth inning. They later Tweeted an apology.

DESIGNS ON SUCCESS

With the Cubs wearing throwback uniforms from 1988 on Sunday, the Rays will also go retro — sort of. Tampa Bay will wear uniforms with light blue shirts and pants, yellow sleeves and dark blue accents suggesting what the team would have worn had it existed in the 1980s. The designer? Owner Stuart Sternberg.

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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