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Hamels strong but gets no-decision in Phils’ loss

By WTOP Staff

AARON BRACY
Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Once again, Philadelphia’s Cole Hamels pitched well and had nothing to show for it.

Lucas Duda singled home the go-ahead run with one out in the 11th inning to lead the New York Mets to a 2-1 victory over the Phillies on Saturday night.

It was New York’s 11th victory in its last 12 games in Philadelphia.

Long after starters Hamels and Dillon Gee exited following their duel, Curtis Granderson opened the 11th with a single off Antonio Bastardo (5-5). Following an out, David Wright singled and Eric Campbell walked to load the bases.

Duda then lined Bastardo’s first pitch sharply into right field to score Granderson.

Hamels continued his dominant stretch. The Phillies left-hander allowed one run and five hits in seven innings with five strikeouts and three walks.

Hamels has a 0.73 ERA in his last five starts but is 3-1. It was the ninth no-decision for Hamels (6-6), who has been a victim of a lack of offense to back him up this season.

“Cole is on a terrific run,” Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said. “You almost come to expect it. But we’ve been coming up short on run support.”

The lefty has maintained a good attitude throughout the frustrating stretch.

“I just have to keep on pitching and see what happens,” he said.

The Mets scored in the fifth off Hamels, snapping his 22-inning steak without allowing an earned run. New York loaded the bases with no outs on singles by Duda and Juan Lagares sandwiched around a walk to Travis d’Arnaud.

Duda then scored on Wilmer Flores’ hard-hit grounder. Third baseman Cody Asche lunged to stop the ball, but elected to throw to second rather than attempt to get Duda at home. Hamels threw up his hands in disgust after the run crossed.

“Cody made an outstanding catch,” Hamels said. “I knew that run was going to score.”

Dana Eveland (1-1) retired the Phillies in order in the 10th for the win. Jeurys Familia earned his second save in six opportunities but had to wriggle out of a two-out jam to get it.

“That was a good grind-out win for us,” Mets manager Terry Collins said.

Ryan Howard singled and Marlon Byrd walked to put runners on first and second for Domonic Brown in the 11th. But Familia got Brown to ground out to shortstop.

Regular Mets closer Jenrry Mejia wasn’t available after a heavy workload the previous two nights, Collins said.

Carlos Ruiz homered for the Phillies, who dropped to 12-48 when scoring three runs or less.

“We just weren’t able to put some runs on the board,” Sandberg said.

The Phillies tied it in the seventh on Ruiz’s two-out homer to left. It was Ruiz’s third homer of the season and first since June 7.

“Right in his wheelhouse,” Gee said.

That was one of three hits the Phillies got off Gee, who struck out four and walked three in seven strong innings.

Besides Ruiz, Philadelphia got just one runner to second base off Gee. Brown advanced on Ruiz’s second-inning single.

Jake Diekman pitched a scoreless eighth, Jonathan Papelbon tossed a 1-2-3 ninth, and Ken Giles struck out two in the 10th for the Phillies.

Josh Edgin and Vic Black combined to allow one hit in two scoreless relief innings before turning the ball over to Eveland.

New York’s Daniel Murphy went 0-for-5, snapping his streak of five straight multi-hit games.

Justin De Fratus relieved Bastardo and got the final two outs of the 11th.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Phillies: Brown returned to the starting lineup for the first time since a throat infection sidelined him for three days, and went 0-for-3. Brown has participated as a pinch-hitter in the last four games, going 0-for-4 with three strikeouts.

Mets: Right-hander Matt Harvey threw 29 pitches off the slope of the mound in Port St. Lucie on Saturday. Harvey is rehabilitating following Tommy John surgery last Oct. 22.

UP NEXT

Mets right-hander Zack Wheeler (7-8, 3.48) opposes Phillies right-hander Kyle Kendrick (5-11, 4.74) in the third game of the four-game series on Sunday. Wheeler, who has won four straight games, allowed one run in 6 1/3 innings in his only career start at Citizens Bank Park. Against Philadelphia, he is 2-1 with a 2.59 ERA in four starts. Kendrick is coming off his best start of the season when he allowed one run and five hits in seven innings in Tuesday’s 2-1, 15-inning win over Houston. He is 8-9 with a 3.82 ERA in 25 games — 19 starts — against the Mets.

MANUEL HONORED

Former Phillies manager Charlie Manuel was inducted into the club’s Wall of Fame in a pregame ceremony that included Hall-of-Famers and fellow inductees Jim Bunning, Mike Schmidt and Steve Carlton. Manuel managed nearly nine seasons and owns the Phillies record for most games managed (1,416) and most victories (780). He led the Phillies to five straight NL East titles and two World Series appearances and the 2008 championship.

Manuel, one of the most beloved managers or coaches in Philadelphia sports history, delivered a moving and humorous speech during the pregame.

“I never thought I’d ever coach in big leagues,” Manuel said. “My intention was to teach and hang around ballpark so I could take BP.”

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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