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Giants waste Bumgarner’s gem, lose to Phils in 10

By WTOP Staff

RICK EYMER
Associated Press

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Madison Bumgarner turned in a strong pitching performance at home for the first time in a while, and the San Francisco Giants still found a way to lose.

Chase Utley was hit by a pitch from Javier Lopez with the bases loaded in the top of the 10th inning to help the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Giants 5-3 on Friday night.

The game turned when the usually reliable San Francisco bullpen took over for Bumgarner, who threw seven strong innings for his first quality start at home since June 10, a span of seven games. He allowed one run and four hits, striking out nine without a walk.

“There’s no question this is disheartening,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. “Bumgarner pitched a great game, but we couldn’t get another run in.”

Cody Asche, who doubled off Santiago Casilla (1-3) to open the 10th, hit a two-run homer in the eighth to tie it. It was the first home run allowed by Jeremy Affeldt this season.

Ken Giles (2-0) pitched two scoreless innings for the win. Jonathan Papelbon worked the 10th for his 28th save in 31 chances.

Bumgarner retired the first 10 hitters he faced, five on strikeouts, before allowing back-to-back hits by Jimmy Rollins and Utley.

“We keep saying we have to grind it out and go get them tomorrow,” Bumgarner said. “But that’s all we can really do. We have to get hot and finish strong.”

The Giants took a 3-0 lead in the fourth when Michael Morse hit his first home run in August, a three-run shot that carried over the fence in left field.

“Those were some good at-bats from Morse,” Bochy said. “We haven’t seen a lot of that.”

Pablo Sandoval had three hits, but the Giants lost their sixth in seven games.

The Giants got their leadoff hitter on in five innings against Phillies starter Cole Hamels, and were only retired in order once — by Papelbon.

Hamels was able to avoid trouble with the exception of the fourth. Buster Posey led off with a single and Sandoval hit a ground-rule double ahead of Morse.

Marlon Byrd hit his 23rd homer for the Phillies.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Giants: 1B Brandon Belt will get another opinion on his concussion when the Giants visit Chicago next week. Belt will see concussion specialist Michael Collins in Pittsburgh.

UP NEXT

Giants: RHP Tim Hudson (8-9, 2.81) pitches Saturday. The Giants have lost seven of his last 10 starts. Hudson has started 30 games against the Phillies and is 11-10 with a 3.60 ERA against them.

LESSONS ON THE BASES

The Giants had three runners thrown out on the bases, two trying to score.

Angel Pagan, who led off the seventh with a double, was about halfway to third before Hamels noticed him and trapped him in a rundown. Pagan was tagged out at second.

Pinch-runner Gregor Blanco tried to score from third on Brandon Crawford’s safety squeeze in the sixth. Hamels fielded the ball and ran down Blanco near third.

Giants third base coach Tim Flannery sent Sandoval home with two outs in the eighth on Joe Panik’s single to right. Byrd’s throw to Carlos Ruiz was there in plenty of time.

A PLACE TO ROAM

Morse’s home run in the fourth traveled about 15 feet less than the 400-foot drive he hit to right-center in the second. Morse’s towering fly to the roomy area of the ballpark known as Triples Alley allowed Byrd plenty of time to run under it.

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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