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Hammel struggles as A’s beaten by Braves 7-2

By WTOP Staff

CHARLES ODUM
AP Sports Writer

ATLANTA (AP) — Jason Hammel seemed to be gaining momentum in the Oakland rotation.

An ugly step back led to questions about his spot in it.

Hammel gave up five runs while recording only nine outs and the Oakland Athletics’ mini-slide continued with a 7-2 loss to the Atlanta Braves on Friday night.

Hammel (1-5) allowed five runs and six hits, including three homers, in three innings. He was pulled after walking B.J. Upton to open the fourth.

“Obviously it’s not acceptable,” Hammel said. “I’ve got to find a way to get through a few more innings there, at least save the bullpen.”

The A’s have lost three straight and five of six.

“We’re just going through a tough time right now,” manager Bob Melvin said. “You start to press a little bit offensively and it can be contagious as a group.

“You start swinging at some pitches out of the zone. We’re pretty good about looking for our pitch and waiting for it. We haven’t been as good here recently.”

Hammel has a 6.75 ERA in seven starts since his trade from the Cubs. He had allowed only one earned run over 12 innings in his previous two starts.

Melvin said Hammel was hurt by high pitches in giving up homers to Justin Upton and Evan Gattis in the second. The more damaging one was Freddie Freeman’s three-run homer in the third.

Melvin wouldn’t discuss Hammel’s status in the rotation.

“I would never make comments about any player 10 minutes after a game regardless of who it is or what,” Melvin said.

Oakland’s only runs off Alex Wood (9-9) came on a two-run homer by Nate Freiman in the fourth.

Braves rookie Phil Gosselin hit a two-run homer, the first of his career, off Jesse Chavez in the sixth.

After the game, Freeman applauded Atlanta’s power surge.

“That was a good night,” Freeman said, noting Oakland brought the majors’ best record to Atlanta.

“We always play those teams the hardest, and it was no different tonight,” Freeman said.

Chris Johnson was credited with a ground-rule double when A’s centerfielder Coco Crisp lost his deep fly ball in the lights in the third. The ball landed well behind Crisp and bounced over the wall. Hammel hit Gattis with a pitch and then escaped the jam.

MUST BE THE SHOES

Melvin said LHP Jon Lester, who is scheduled to start on Sunday, has had a smooth adjustment to the rotation following his trade from Boston. “I think he had as much trouble getting used to the white shoes as he has actually going out there and performing,” Melvin said. “Because you put him in any uniform and he’s going to give you, for the most part, the same type of performance.”

OVERTURNED

After Wood issued one-out walks to Jonny Gomes and Josh Donaldson in the first, the left-hander made a pickoff throw to second base. Umpire Ted Barrett called Gomes safe. Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez challenged the ruling and the call was overturned following a review of 1 minute, 50 seconds.

The ruling proved important when Derek Norris followed with a single to left field that likely would have scored Gomes from second.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Athletics: CF Craig Gentry, on the 15-day disabled list with a broken right hand, will take batting practice with Triple-A Sacramento on Saturday.

Braves: LF Justin Upton started after leaving Thursday night’s game with a mild left hamstring strain. … SS Andrelton Simmons was held out after having two teeth extracted.

UP NEXT

Athletics: RHP Sonny Gray will try to snap a streak of losses in three straight starts in Saturday night’s game. The three-game skid is the longest of his career.

Braves: RHP Julio Teheran will try to improve his 2-3 career interleague record in his first appearance against Oakland. He is 1-2 with a 2.41 ERA in two starts against AL teams this season.

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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