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Pirates lose 1-0, drop 5 games back of Cards

By WTOP Staff

WARREN MAYES
Associated Press

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle thinks the Pirates may benefit from a day off.

Peter Bourjos singled home the winning run in the ninth inning, and the St. Louis Cardinals beat Pittsburgh 1-0 Wednesday to stretch their winning streak to five.

The three-game sweep dropped the third-place Pirates five games back in the NL Central. Pittsburgh has lost 10 of its last 12 road games, falling to a major league-worst 17-29 away from home in day games.

“They were just a little bit better than us every game,” Hurdle said. “It was a great series. It was nip and tuck and push and shove and tug of war every time we play them.

“I mean, we’re playing competitive baseball. We’ve got to find a way to score a run every now and then when we’re out there and have some shutdown innings. We’re not going to back down. We’ll take the day off. We’re going to catch our breath and try and set some stakes down in Chicago.”

The Pirates’ Edinson Volquez gave up three hits and two walks in 6 1-3 innings before Hurdle turned the game over to Tony Watson and Mark Melancon.

“I wanted the best two guys in our bullpen to finish off the game,” Hurdle said.

But it didn’t work out.

Yadier Molina walked with two outs in the ninth on a 3-2 pitch from Melancon (2-4), who had entered an inning earlier. Molina advanced to second on John Jay’s single and scored on the hit by Bourjos, easily beating the throw home from center fielder Andrew McCutchen.

St. Louis moved into sole possession of the NL Central lead for the first time Monday and extended its lead to 2 1/2 games.

Trevor Rosenthal (2-6) pitched a one-hit ninth. Pinch-hitter Gregory Polanco drew an 11-pitch walk leading off the eighth against Carlos Martinez, who retired the next three batters.

St. Louis starter Shelby Miller allowed three hits and three walks in seven innings.

Plate home umpire Ron Kulpa issued a warning to both benches in the fifth inning after Miller threw a high fastball that sailed behind McCutchen. In the fourth, Volquez had hit Matt Holliday and Matt Adams back to back.

Hurdle did not like what he saw.

“From my perspective, it was an ambush,” Hurdle said about Miller throwing at McCutchen. “It was a cheap shot. Ron’s got to make the call he makes and that’s what he chose to make.”

McCutchen understand what was going on. He didn’t take it personally.

“He missed me,” McCuthen said. “So, no harm done. They had their shot and they missed me so we move on from there. They had their shot. They had their chance and they got warned.”

Kulpa was behind the plate earlier this season when McCutchen was hit in early August in Arizona.

“It was the same dude. I said ‘Why does it have to be you again behind the plate?” McCuthen said about Kulpa umpiring. “He kind of laughed it off.”

NOT RUNNING WILD

Pittsburgh catcher Russell Martin threw out Jay attempting to steal third in the eighth. Martin has throw out runners attempting to steal in four straight games and leads the NL with 25 runners caught stealing — four short of his league-high total last year.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Pirates: Infielder Pedro Alverez (left foot) sat out for the seventh consecutive game. Alverez left the Aug. 26 game against St. Louis in the seventh inning when he hurt the foot diving for a grounder down the first-base line.

Cardinals: Kolten Wong was back in the starting lineup at second base after a two-day absence.

UP NEXT:

Pirates: RHP Vance Worley (6-4, 3.01) starts Friday at the Chicago Cubs. He had lost three straight starts before beating Cincinnati 3-2 last Saturday.

Cardinals: RHP Michael Wacha (5-3, 2.79) starts Thursday at Milwaukee in his first big league appearance since June 17. Wacha missed 67 games because of a stress reaction in his right shoulder. He allowed one hit during two scoreless innings Sunday in an injury rehabilitation outing at Tulsa of the Double-A Texas League.

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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