Skip to main content

Martinez starts well for Texas, Astros rally

By WTOP Staff

HOUSTON (AP) — Prior to Sunday’s game, Texas manager Ron Washington said he had a gut feeling about starting pitcher Nick Martinez.

Washington could have used one for his bullpen, as well.

The Rangers got 5 1-3 serviceable innings out of the rookie right-hander, only to see the Houston Astros rally for two runs in the eighth against his relief for a 3-2 win.

“I told him he did his job when he came off the field,” Washington said of Martinez. “It was up to the bullpen to finish it off. We had the two best we’ve got in there and we just didn’t do it.”

Matt Dominguez hit a tying homer and Jose Altuve’s fourth hit drove in the go-ahead run for Houston.

Dominguez connected off reliever Neal Cotts (2-8) with one out in the eighth to make it 2-all.

One out, one pitching change and three batters later, Altuve singled home Jake Marisnick off Neftali Feliz to break the tie.

Marisnick, who had been hit by Cotts to get on base, stole second, setting up Altuve.

“You don’t want to give free passes away that late in the game, and it came back to haunt me,” Cotts said. “Came back to haunt us.”

Martinez allowed one run and six hits. He struck out four and walked three. He loaded the bases in the third on back-to-back walks, but escaped unscathed.

“I felt good,” he said. “I just ran into one long inning that kind of took me off-track. I tried to get back on track and had another one quick inning after that and then just fell behind some hitters that last inning in the sixth.”

Jose Veras (3-1) got the win and Chad Qualls posted his 16th save.

Dallas Keuchel went seven innings for the Astros, allowing two runs and five hits. He struck out three and walked two.

Alex Rios doubled and singled for Texas, driving in a run and scoring run. His RBI single in the sixth, a grounder that got between second and short, scored Daniel Robertson to put Texas ahead 2-1.

Rios doubled and scored on Ryan Rua’s grounder in the first inning.

Washington lamented his team’s inability to add to the score. Texas left six on base and were 2-for-7 with runners in scoring position.

“We put ourselves in position to maybe add on and didn’t do it,” he said. “We still had the lead going into the part of the game where we had our two best pitchers in there.”

ROTATION WOES

The Rangers are keeping a close eye on RHP Miles Mikolas as they decide on the fifth spot of the rotation.

“Let’s see how Mikolas is,” Washington said. “If we feel we need to miss him another start we can always fill it with (Scott) Baker. Robbie (Ross Jr.) is in the mix, but we’ll see where it goes.”

Mikolas was scratched from Saturday’s start with shoulder fatigue. Texas plans to start RHP Colby Lewis, LHP Derek Holland and RHP Nick Tepesch at Kansas City.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Rangers: Whether RHP Yu Darvish (right elbow) can return to the mound this season remains unclear. “I don’t know,” Washington said. “Waiting until Dr. (Keith) Meister tells him he can pick up a baseball to make a decision.” Darvish was placed on the 15-day DL Aug. 13, retroactive to Aug. 10.

UP NEXT

Rangers: Lewis (9-11) looks to build on his previous outing — his second complete game of the season, snapping a three-game losing streak — when he starts Monday night at Kansas City.

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