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Straily unravels in Cubs debut, loses 7-3 to Mets

By WTOP Staff

MIKE FITZPATRICK
AP Sports Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Dan Straily was well aware his first stint with the Chicago Cubs was going to be brief. After a strong stretch in the middle innings, it ended all too quickly.

The right-hander was pulled after two walks and a hit batter in the sixth, and the Cubs lost 7-3 to the New York Mets on Saturday night.

Called up from Triple-A Iowa to make one spot start, Straily (0-1) retired 12 straight batters before suddenly losing his command. He was charged with seven runs — five earned — and four hits over 5 1-3 innings in his Chicago debut.

“That middle stretch of innings is more the type of guy I am,” Straily said. “It was the most amount of runs I’ve ever left the field giving up in my career, at any level. Not exactly the way you want your first one to go. There’s definitely some positives in there from the middle innings, but it was just that the two big innings really hurt me.”

Straily, fourth in AL Rookie of the Year voting last season, was acquired in the July 5 trade that sent pitchers Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel to Oakland. He was 1-2 with a 4.93 ERA in seven starts for the Athletics this season before getting demoted to the minors May 9.

To make room on the roster for Straily, the Cubs optioned outfielder Junior Lake to Iowa. After the game, Chicago sent Straily back down and recalled outfielder Matt Szczur from its top farm club.

“I am sure we will see him again. Obviously, he gave us a good look and had a snippet of working through with really good tempo,” manager Rick Renteria said.

Welington Castillo and Justin Ruggiano homered for the last-place Cubs, who have lost three straight.

Juan Lagares drove in two runs and reliever Vic Black escaped a major jam unscathed to keep New York in control after Jonathon Niese exited.

Star third baseman David Wright also was removed in the seventh, one inning after he was hit in the upper back by an 88 mph fastball from Straily.

The Mets, outhit 7-4, said Wright had a sore left shoulder. New York manager Terry Collins said Wright was pretty sore and probably will get at least one day off.

Wilmer Flores followed Lagares’ RBI double with a two-run single in the second. The 23-year-old Flores also made a diving stop at shortstop and another difficult play in the hole to prevent base hits. He turned a pair of double plays, including one that got Niese (7-8) out of a bases-loaded jam after Chicago’s first two batters reached on errors.

Niese took a 7-1 lead into the seventh before giving up five straight hits, including Ruggiano’s leadoff homer. The last one was a line-drive RBI single by pinch-hitter Ryan Sweeney that struck the left-hander on his pitching arm.

Niese departed with the bases loaded and New York ahead 7-3. Black, who has excelled at stranding inherited runners, retired the top three batters in Chicago’s lineup to stop the rally.

The runners held on Chris Coghlan’s fly to left. Prized rookie Javier Baez slammed down his bat after popping up, and All-Star slugger Anthony Rizzo also popped out.

Chicago went 2 for 10 with runners in scoring position.

“Hopefully, you tone down the anxiety that comes with those moments,” Renteria said. “We have some young men in those situations trying to get some runs.”

Niese had an RBI groundout in a four-run sixth, when the only Mets hit was a single by Travis d’Arnaud.

“I think it went pretty well until I hit Wright and then it kind of unraveled for me,” Straily said. “It’s something that just can’t happen.”

STREAK STOPPED

Chicago SS Starlin Castro grounded into that inning-ending double play in the first and went 0 for 4, ending his 14-game hitting streak. The last Cubs player to reach 15 was Aramis Ramirez, who had a 16-game run in August 2011.

SWING AND A MISS

The Cubs struck out 10 times to give them 40 Ks in the past three games and 101 in the last nine, six of them losses.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cubs: 3B Luis Valbuena, in a 1-for-31 slump, was held out of the starting lineup for the second straight night as planned. He struck out as a pinch hitter to end the game. Valbuena has been fighting a cold. “Hopefully he’ll feel better, and should have him back in the lineup tomorrow,” Renteria said.

UP NEXT

Mets rookie Rafael Montero (0-3, 6.12 ERA) tries again for his first major league win Sunday when he faces RHP Jake Arrieta (6-4, 2.77) and the Cubs. Montero has served up eight homers in 25 innings, the most in club history through five big league outings. He gave up four home runs in 75 innings at Triple-A Las Vegas this year.

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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