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Pirates blow 3-run lead, fall to Tigers 8-4

By WTOP Staff

NOAH TRISTER
AP Baseball Writer

DETROIT (AP) — Vance Worley’s impressive stretch since the All-Star break came to an abrupt end.

Worley allowed a pair of home runs, and the Pittsburgh Pirates lost to the Detroit Tigers 8-4 on Wednesday night, wasting a 4-1 lead in the process. The Pirates remain 1 1/2 games behind first-place Milwaukee in the NL Central.

Worley allowed five runs — three earned — and nine hits in 5 1-3 innings.

“He went out there and battled tonight. Wasn’t a sharp night for him,” manager Clint Hurdle said. “Still, I think of the three runs they scored in the fifth, they wouldn’t have scored them if we would have handled the ball better.”

Victor Martinez had three hits, and Nick Castellanos homered and tripled to lead the Tigers, who snapped a four-game losing streak. Detroit is suddenly facing adversity amid mounting injuries. The Tigers had to send Buck Farmer to the mound to make his major league debut, and he allowed four runs in five innings.

Blaine Hardy (2-1) followed with two scoreless innings of relief, lowering his ERA to 2.05. He’s been a rare bright spot in a bullpen that’s been unreliable.

“He’s done an excellent job, really,” manager Brad Ausmus said. “He’s not strictly a lefty-lefty guy. He’s got the ability to get right-handed hitters out, which gives me a lot of flexibility in the middle innings.”

Castellanos put Detroit ahead 5-4 with a solo homer off Worley (5-2) in the sixth. Martinez added a two-run single in the seventh.

The game was tied at 1 in the fourth when Pittsburgh’s Jordy Mercer hit an RBI triple and Travis Snider followed with a two-run homer. The Tigers tied it with three runs in the fifth.

Alex Avila led off with a homer to make it 4-2, and after a single by Eugenio Suarez, Ezequiel Carrera hit a grounder to second. Jayson Nix tried to make a tough throw to second to get the lead runner, but his throw was poor, and the error helped Detroit to a big inning. Miguel Cabrera eventually hit a sacrifice fly, and Martinez tied it with a two-out RBI single.

Castellanos hit his ninth homer of the year with one out in the sixth.

“I think the pitches that hurt were the home runs,” Worley said. “Couple of guys who I got behind — had to throw good pitches.”

Worley had been 3-0 with a 0.96 ERA since the All-Star break.

OUTFIELD PROBLEMS

Pittsburgh center fielder Starling Marte made a diving attempt on Castellanos’ hit in the second, and the ball got past him for a triple. Right fielder Gregory Polanco couldn’t handle Torii Hunter’s double in the fourth, and Polanco’s long run to right-center in the seventh was for naught when he was unable to make the catch on Carrera’s drive, which went for a triple.

TOUGH SPOT

Farmer has spent most of this season at Class A West Michigan, and he was called up from Double-A Erie to make this start for the Tigers. He made it through the order the first time without allowing a hit, but the Pirates scored a run in the third and three in the fourth.

He allowed six hits and a walk and struck out four, and the Tigers were able to rally after he left the game.

FOR THE BIRDS

Worley and Cabrera both seemed distracted by two birds that settled in between the mound and the plate while Cabrera was batting in the first. Cabrera stepped out and waved his bat at them, then Worley rolled a ball to the plate, trying to shoo them away.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Pirates: Pittsburgh was once again without 2B Neil Walker, who has been limited to only three games this month. Walker has been bothered by a bad back.

Tigers: Detroit 2B Ian Kinsler stayed in the game and seemed to be OK after a pitch by Stolmy Pimentel bounced weirdly and hit him in the side of the head. Pimentel’s pitch in the seventh inning was in the dirt, then bounced up off C Russell Martin and hit Kinsler.

UP NEXT

Pirates: Francisco Liriano (3-8) takes the mound for Pittsburgh on Thursday against Detroit. He’s posted a 2.25 ERA in five starts since returning from a left oblique strain.

Tigers: Max Scherzer (13-4) pitches for the first time since striking out 11 in eight innings against Toronto on Saturday — in a game Detroit went on to lose in 10.

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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