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Seager, Hart homer to rally Mariners past A’s, 2-1

By WTOP Staff

ANTONIO GONZALEZ
AP Sports Writer

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — If the Seattle Mariners can get into the AL wild card game against Jon Lester and the Oakland Athletics, they’ll be plenty confident with King Felix on the mound.

Kyle Seager and Corey Hart homered leading off the seventh inning to back Felix Hernandez’s stellar start, and the Mariners rallied to beat the A’s 2-1 on Wednesday to win the three-game series between playoff contenders.

“I think we match up well,” Mariners manager Lloyd McClendon said. “We’ve got a few bullets to throw at them that toe the rubber. We like our chances.”

McClendon and the Mariners were in a light-hearted mood after the victory.

The manager pointed out that Hernandez looked well rested despite his much-maligned move to push his ace back a day before his last start against the Washington Nationals — which was Hernandez’s worst outing of the season — by referencing a profanity-laced quote from former Indiana basketball coach Bobby Knight.

McClendon could crack jokes mostly because of the homers that erased an otherwise brilliant performance by Lester (13-10) and helped Hernandez (14-5) win for the first time in four outings.

Adam Dunn’s homer in the fourth accounted for the only run Hernandez allowed in eight innings. The right-hander gave up three hits, struck out four and walked two to outduel Lester in a matchup of two of the AL’s best pitchers.

The Mariners tagged Lester for seven hits in eight innings. Fernando Rodney pitched a perfect ninth for his 41st save in 44 chances.

“It was special,” said Hernandez, adding that he promised his wife a win for her birthday. “We came here to win the series and that’s what we did.”

Hernandez improved to 19-7 against Oakland, including 4-0 in five starts this season. He said he’s just happy to finally be pitching in a playoff race.

“It feels great. It feels really good. It’s fun to do that,” he said.

The A’s have lost seven of nine, including a four-game series at the AL West-leading Los Angeles Angels before dropping two of three to Seattle at the Coliseum. The Mariners remain right behind Detroit and Oakland in the chase for the AL’s two wild cards.

And for most of the sun-splashed afternoon, it looked like a possible preview for that game.

Hernandez, who allowed a career-high four home runs in his last start against the Washington Nationals, returned to his dominant ways for all but one pitch. It was Dunn’s second homer in three days since being traded from the Chicago White Sox, his 22nd this season and 462nd of his career, tying him with former A’s slugger Jose Canseco for 34th in major league history.

Lester looked to be in his All-Star form, scattering hits and keeping batters off balance, but Seattle changed that on the left-hander’s first three pitches of the seventh.

Seager and Hart hit back-to-back homers to give the Mariners the lead. It was Seager’s 22nd home run this season, tying a career high, and Hart’s fifth.

“Two mistakes, two solo homers,” Lester said. “Nothing else really to talk about as far as the game went for me.”

INJURED VOGT: A’s first baseman Stephen Vogt was replaced in the seventh after spraining his left ankle, which he injured sliding into second on a failed hit-and-run in the fifth. Vogt said X-rays were negative and he’s hoping he’s only out a few days.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Mariners: Chris Young, chased Monday after getting just two outs in the shortest outing of his career, threw a bullpen session and felt fine. Manager Lloyd McClendon will decide Thursday whether the 35-year-old right-hander will make his next start Saturday.

Athletics: CF Coco Crisp felt better after receiving trigger-point injections Wednesday to help relieve tightness and pain in his neck. He could return to the lineup Friday. … Reliever Sean Doolittle (strained right intercostal) played long toss. He will take Thursday off and resume his rehab Friday. … INF Nick Punto (hamstring) got a cortisone shot earlier in the week and will try running sprints Friday.

UP NEXT

Mariners: LHP Roenis Elias (9-12, 3.97 ERA) starts the opener of a four-game series at Texas on Thursday. He’s 1-1 with a 2.60 ERA in three starts against the Rangers.

Athletics: After an off day Thursday, RHP Jeff Samardzija (4-4, 3.57 ERA) starts the opener of a three-game series against Houston. He has gone eight innings in his last two starts.

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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