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Mikolas strong start lifts Rangers over Mariners

By WTOP Staff

JOSH LIEBESKIND
Associated Press

SEATTLE (AP) — Roenis Elias has been a pleasant surprise for the Seattle Mariners this season. Lately though, the rookie hasn’t been able to find his early season form. That is cause for worry.

Elias labored through five innings, struggling to find his command, and Seattle dropped the opener of a three-game set against the Texas Rangers on Monday night, 2-0.

“He was his own worst enemy tonight,” Seattle skipper Lloyd McClendon said. “He battled all night with his stuff, his command. I’m not sure what’s going on — can’t quite put my finger on it, but we’ve got to get it straightened out.”

Despite walking four, Elias (9-11) was able to limit the Rangers to one run. The rookie stranded runners in scoring position in three innings before giving way to the bullpen after tossing 101 pitches.

The Seattle bats were unable to find a groove, too. Texas starter Miles Mikolas allowed three hits in eight scoreless innings. He faced two batters over the minimum, erasing two of the three hits he allowed with double plays. The right-hander struck out five and walked one. It is the first time Mikolas (2-5) has not allowed a run in 10 career starts.

“It was great, especially knowing coming in that they’re a hot team, being able to go out there and kind of ignore that fact, pitch my game and get us a win,” Mikolas said. “Get the road trip off on the right foot.”

J.P. Arencibia gave Mikolas the only run he needed with an RBI single in the fourth and Rougned Odor padded the lead with an RBI groundout in the seventh, scoring Leonys Martin from third.

“They got pitching and we (were) able to take advantage of some things that we created, and we just got to continue to do that,” Rangers manager Ron Washington said.

The Rangers’ best opportunity to break the game open came in the fourth, but Adam Rosales flew out to end the threat with the bases loaded. Texas left five men in scoring position.

Neftali Feliz pitched the ninth for his seventh save in eight attempts.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Mariners: 2B Robinson Cano was in the lineup and batting third on Monday, a day after removing himself from the field due to the effects of an illness. Manager Lloyd McClendon said before the game that Cano was feeling better and it didn’t appear the bug hit anyone else on the team.

Rangers: Texas placed OF Shin-Soo Choo on the disabled list Monday, ending his season. Choo will have surgery to remove a bone spur in his left elbow in the next couple weeks and the expectation is for him to be healthy enough to have a normal offseason. … General manager Jon Daniels said the Rangers plan to activate LHP Derek Holland from the disabled list after his start Thursday for Triple-A Round Rock.

UP NEXT

Mariners: LHP James Paxton looks to rebound from his first Major League loss in his 11th career start. Paxton has never faced the Rangers.

Rangers: RHP Nick Martinez looks to finish the season strong after getting out to a 3-9 start with a 5.13 ERA. Martinez allowed one run in six innings in his only start against the Mariners, but was outdueled by Hisashi Iwakuma.

MAJOR LEAGUE MOMENT

Telis recorded his first career hit in the seventh. The catcher was attempting to put down a sacrifice bunt, but placed it well enough to leg out a single.

LO-MO ROLLING

Mariners first baseman Logan Morrison extended his hitting streak to nine game with a pair of singles. Morrison is hitting .394 (13 for 33) during that stretch.

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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