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Howard gets winning hit in 9th for Phillies

By WTOP Staff

AARON BRACY
Associated Press

PHLADELPHIA (AP) — After another game-ending RBI, teams might think twice about intentionally walking Chase Utley to get to Ryan Howard.

Howard singled with two outs in the ninth inning after pinch-hitter Marlon Byrd had a tying hit and the Philadelphia Phillies pulled out a 7-6 victory over the New York Mets on Sunday.

“You’re not out of it until 27 outs,” said Howard, who was mobbed by his teammates near first base after the hit. “It was a little hectic but, you know what? I’ll take it.”

Utley singled, tripled, homered and drove in three runs for the Phillies, who snapped a five-game skid against the Mets.

Lucas Duda and Travis d’Arnaud homered for New York.

The Mets appeared positioned for their 12th victory in the last 13 games against the Phillies in Philadelphia before the ninth.

Cody Asche led off with a double off Jenrry Mejia (5-5) and scored when Byrd lined a hit up the middle. Two outs later, Byrd stole second and, after getting the count to 3-2, the Mets intentionally walked Utley.

Howard followed with a single to right on a full-count pitch.

The beleaguered slugger, who recently was benched for three games, pointed skyward after rounding first before getting mobbed by his teammates near first base.

“That’s big for his confidence,” said Philadelphia manager Ryne Sandberg, who benched a slumping Howard for three days in late July. “He’s been in these situations before. Right guy in the right place.”

Ken Giles (1-0) pitched a scoreless ninth to cap four innings of scoreless relief by three Phillies bullpen arms.

It was the second time in six games Howard faced the scenario. The Astros walked Utley for Howard on Tuesday and the Philadelphia slugger singled home the winning run in Philadelphia’s 2-1, 15-inning victory.

“I wasn’t surprised at all,” Howard said. “The winning run on second base and I didn’t have any hits. I still have great confidence. I feel real good about my swing.”

While Howard wasn’t surprised, Mejia was.

“I want to finish (against Utley) but I’m not the manager,” Mejia said. “I have to do whatever the manager wants me to do. A little bit surprised but I can’t do anything. Terry Collins is the manager. I’m just the player. I have to do whatever he wants me to do.”

Collins stood by his decision.

“I’m not going to let (Utley) beat me,” he said. “Howard’s been struggling. You’ve got to make him beat you. In my book, that’s the way I look at it.”

Zack Wheeler allowed three runs on three hits in six innings. He is 4-0 with a 1.94 ERA in his last eight games.

Kyle Kendrick extended his struggles this season. The right-hander was charged with six runs — five earned — on 10 hits in five innings.

“He struggled with balls over the plate,” Sandberg said.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Phillies: Prized prospect Jesse Biddle makes his second start for Class-A Clearwater on Monday since being shut down for a mental break on June 23. The 2010 Phillies first-round pick tossed five no-hit innings to earn the victory in Clearwater’s 4-0 win last Wednesday against Daytona.

Mets: Rookie right-hander Jacob deGrom will be evaluated in New York on Monday after experiencing shoulder soreness in the days following Thursday’s start against Washington. DeGrom, who is 6-5 with a 2.87 ERA in 16 starts, will not make his scheduled start on Tuesday against the Nationals. … Mejia revealed after the game that he has been struggling with a hernia problem for the last three weeks. “Doctors say if it bothers me too much to let him fix it, but I don’t want to let him know because I want to keep pitching,” Mejia said.

UP NEXT

The teams close out the four-game series at 1:05 p.m. Monday when Phillies right-hander David Buchanan (6-5, 4.39) faces New York lefty Jonathon Niese (5-8, 3.51). Buchanan is filling in for injured lefty Cliff Lee, who is out for the season with an elbow strain. Niese has lost four straight games.

EXCELLENT EDGIN

Mets left-handed reliever Josh Edgin struck out all four batters he faced. Edgin is 1-0 with a 1.64 ERA with 19 strikeouts and three walks in 22 innings.

“He’s done a nice job,” Collins said. “He got us to the ninth inning with the lead, which is what you want.”

BROWN’S MISCUE

After David Wright opened the third with a single and Duda flew out, d’Arnaud lifted a medium fly to left field that Brown appeared to pull up on too soon. Fans booed the left fielder, who has experienced offensive and defensive troubles this season.

“It appeared to be catchable,” Sandberg said.

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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