Skip to main content

Masterson, Cards lose 5-1 to Cubs in DH opener

By WTOP Staff

WARREN MAYES
Associated Press

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Justin Masterson thinks he knows what is wrong. Now he just has to find a way to get back on track.

Masterson allowed three homers in the St. Louis Cardinals’ 5-1 loss to the Chicago Cubs in the opener of a day-night doubleheader on Saturday.

The right-hander, who was acquired in a July 30 trade, was charged with five runs and six hits in 4 1-3 innings. He has allowed four or more runs in five of his six starts for the Cardinals and pitched five innings or fewer in four of his starts with St. Louis.

“It’s inconsistency,” Masterson said. “I wouldn’t finish some pitches, left them hanging up and in. They’re hitting those balls pretty hard.

“We were in the zone for the most part. I gave up the home runs because I was in the zone. There were some good pitches and some not-so-good pitches.”

Starlin Castro, Logan Watkins and Chris Valaika each hit a solo homer for Chicago in the makeup of a May 14 rainout. The last-place Cubs hit four home runs Friday, giving them seven in two games against the Cardinals.

It might have been worse for St. Louis but Tyler Lyons struck out eight in 4 2-3 scoreless innings of relief.

“I’ll tell what was impressive was watching Tyler Lyons out there,” Masterson said. “If we’d know that was going to happen we should have started him.

“It was a great finish to the game. For him to go out there and do that and save the bullpen by just doing his thing, that’s more impressive than anything bad I did. He was straight nasty.”

St. Louis manager Mike Matheny agreed.

“Lyons was terrific coming in in the middle of the game,” Matheny said. “I thought we obviously needed that and needed somebody to come in pick us up and he did a terrific job.”

Holding the Cubs scoreless was his mission, Lyons said. Getting strikeouts was just a byproduct of how well he was pitching.

“When you get ahead in the count with two strikes, that gives you a little more flexibility,” Lyons said. “You can make them try to chase pitches. That’s what happened.”

St. Louis has lost four in a row for the second time this season. The Cardinals began the day one game ahead of Atlanta and 1 1/2 up on Pittsburgh for the second NL wild card.

Chris Coghlan had a two-run single for the Cubs, who have won nine of 13.

Cubs left-hander Felix Doubront (3-4) pitched seven innings of one-run ball in his return from the disabled list. He had been out with a strained right calf since Aug. 1, two days after Chicago acquired him from Boston.

The Cubs took a 2-0 lead in the second, when an out at the plate was overturned on instant replay. Doubront drew a walk to load the bases before Coghlan singled to right. Plate umpire Alan Porter initially called Valaika out at home on a throw from Randal Grichuk.

But a replay showed Valaika had his hand on the plate before he was tagged by catcher A.J. Pierzynski. Chicago challenged and the call was overturned.

“Another good homer day for the Cubbies,” Chicago manager Rick Renteria said. “The at-bat Coghlan put together to drive in the first two runs was good. Doubront getting that walk was pretty big.”

St. Louis got a run back in the second when Jhonny Peralta scored on a double play.

Watkins hit the first pitch of the fourth for his first major league home run. Two pitches later, Valaika sent a shot into the left-field bullpen, giving the Cubs a 4-1 lead.

Castro led off the fifth with his 14th homer, matching his career high.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cubs: 1B Anthony Rizzo sat out again. Rizzo’s lower back tightened during a rain delay Tuesday in Cincinnati. He has not played since and is expected to sit out Sunday as well. … RHP Edwin Jackson (strained right strain) threw in the bullpen before the game. He has been on the disabled list since Aug. 21.

Cardinals: Reliever Jason Motte (lower back strain) threw a bullpen Friday and the Cardinals hope he can return in September. With the minor league season ending this week, there will be no time for Motte to work out the kinks during a rehab assignment. … RHP Michael Wacha (right shoulder strain) will pitch Sunday in Tulsa for Double-A Springfield. Wacha went on the DL after his June 17 start.

UP NEXT

Cubs: LHP Tsuyoshi Wada (4-1, 2.56 ERA) was set to make his ninth big league start in the second game. In his previous start Sunday against Baltimore, Wada took a no-hitter into the seventh before Steve Pearce hit a leadoff homer. … LHP Travis Wood (8-11, 4.72 ERA) will start Sunday afternoon.

Cardinals: LHP Marco Gonzales (0-2, 7.07 ERA) was scheduled to pitch the nightcap. He was called up as the 26th man on the roster to make his fourth major league start and first since July 6. … RHP John Lackey gets the ball Sunday. Lackey is 2-1 with a 4.50 ERA in five starts for the Cardinals since being traded by Boston. He is 13-8 with a 3.77 ERA overall.

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
Read Next Story

Related News

Frustration grows in Venezuela as earthquake death toll reaches 1,430

Israel and Lebanon sign framework agreement with US in ‘first step’ toward peace, Rubio says

Trump-endorsed populist poised to become Colombia’s next president as rival challenges vote