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Brewers fall again to the Cubs, 6-2

By WTOP Staff

ROBERT QUESENBERY
Associated Press

CHICAGO (AP) — Ron Roenicke hoped the return of Matt Garza would put the Brewers back on the right track.

Instead, Milwaukee’s manager was left searching for answers after his team fell 6-2 to the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday night to lose its season-high eighth straight.

“I don’t understand it,” Roenicke said. “We haven’t pitched well. We haven’t played good defense. . We haven’t been swinging the bat well either.”

The Brewers held a 2 1/2-game lead in the NL Central on Aug. 19, but since then they have lost 11 of 13 to fall three behind the St. Louis Cardinals. They remain a half-game ahead of Atlanta for the second wild card spot.

Milwaukee took an early lead in the second, when Khris Davis hit the first of his three singles, advanced on a groundout and scored on Logan Schafer’s two-out base hit.

It was all downhill from there as Garza (7-8) failed to get past the third inning in his first start in 31 days. The right-hander allowed six runs on eight hits and one walk. He had been on the disabled list since Aug. 4 because of a strained left oblique.

After a two-run home run by Chris Valaika in the second, the Cubs batted around in the third when they scored four times to take a 6-1 lead thanks to a number of flyballs that fell in for hits.

“They found holes and they just keep finding them,” Garza said.

Luis Valbuena singled and advanced on an error after his fly ball fell between three Brewers in left to put runners on first and second with one away. Rookie Jorge Soler then had a two-run double. Welington Castillo followed with a run-scoring, ground-rule double, and one out later, Logan Watkins hit an RBI single to cap the rally.

“That’s incredible that you can drop that many balls in and not screw up anything,” Roenicke said.

Kyle Hendricks pitched five-plus innings to hear his fifth straight win. Hendricks (6-1) allowed two runs on nine hits in 5 2/3 innings. The right-hander did not walk or strike out a batter.

“Tonight they got a lot of hits off me because I didn’t have my (best) stuff,” Hendricks said.

Milwaukee, who was without Ryan Braun because of the expected birth of his first child, has been outscored 55-16 during their slide, the longest losing streak for the team since it lost 9 straight in May 2010.

“We’re still not getting that big hit that we have to have to get back in games,” said Roenicke, whose team was swept at Wrigley for the first time since Aug. 23-25, 2004.

The Brewers scored their final run on Valaika’s error at first base in the sixth.

Milwaukee was missing Ryan Braun, who was with his wife Larisa in Milwaukee, where she was expecting their first child.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Brewers: OF Carlos Gomez will not take part in physical activity until Sunday at the earliest. He sat out his third straight game because of a sprained left wrist and could be out of action until until mid-September. INF Mark Reynolds and Jason Rogers were available to play in the outfield if necessary.

Cubs: Results of X-rays and an MRI revealed SS Starlin Castro suffered a high ankle sprain on a slide into home during a 7-1 win against the Brewers on Tuesday night. General manager Jed Hoyer said Castro hoped to beat the 4-week prognosis to return but his season was likely over. … 1B Anthony Rizzo remains out indefinitely with a strained lower back. … 3b Mike Olt began a two-game rehab assignment with Class-A Kane County on Wednesday night. … OF Ryan Sweeney (strained left hamstring) was transferred to the 60-day disabled list, which effectively ended his season. The contract of OF Ryan Kalish was selected from the Triple-A club.

UP NEXT

The Brewers return home to meet St. Louis in a crucial four-game series. RHP Wily Peralta (15-9, 3.82) and Cardinals RHP Michael Wacha (5-5, 2.79) are the scheduled starters Thursday night. After an open date, the Cubs will send LHP Tsuyoshi Wada (4-2, 2.79) to the mound against Pittsburgh RHP Vance Worley (6-4, 3.01) in the first game of a three-game set on Friday afternoon.

NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK

The Cubs improved to 22-15 since July 18. At the start of the day, they owned the best record in the division and the seventh-best mark in the majors in that span.

BREWERS MOURN SEID

A moment of silence was observed before the game in honor of Brewers amateur scouting director Bruce Seid, 53, who passed away unexpectedly on Tuesday. He had been with the organization for 17 years.

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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