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Sloppy defense hurts Cincy in 4-3 loss to Mets

By WTOP Staff

MARK SCHMETZER
Associated Press

CINCINNATI (AP) — The Cincinnati Reds have played solid defense for much of the year. Sunday was a different story.

The Reds committed two costly errors that led to four unearned runs for the New York Mets in a 4-3 loss.

“We pretty much handed them all of their runs,” manager Bryan Price said. “It’s a rarity, but it stinks when it happens.”

The Reds began the day with a major league-low 62 errors. But center fielder Billy Hamilton dropped a fly ball in New York’s three-run sixth, and first baseman Jack Hannahan flubbed Curtis Granderson’s foul popup in the eighth. Granderson then hit a solo shot for his 18th homer.

The four unearned runs were the most allowed by Cincinnati since June 27, 2012, according to the Reds. Nobody appreciated the gifts more than Mets manager Terry Collins.

“You don’t get many,” he said. “You’ve got to capitalize on that.”

New York carried a 4-1 lead into the ninth, but Jay Bruce hit his 16th homer and Ryan Ludwick added an RBI single to get Cincinnati within one. The Reds had the bases loaded with two out when Jenrry Mejia struck out Devin Mesoraco for his 24th save, closing out a 4-2 road trip for the Mets.

Mat Latos struck out five in six innings for Cincinnati. He allowed three runs and seven hits.

The Mets jumped on Latos (5-5) after Hamilton dropped Wilmer Flores’ fly ball on the warning track for a two-base error with one out in the sixth. Granderson followed with a tying RBI single.

After Dilson Herrera fouled out, Anthony Recker hit a drive off the facade of the second deck in left field for his sixth homer. Of Recker’s 13 career home runs, 10 either have tied the game or given his team the lead, including five this season.

“I had to pitch better,” Latos said. “You can’t leave the ball down the middle to Recker.”

Hamilton has been a pleasant surprise for the Reds in just his second year after being converted from shortstop to center field.

“It was one of the balls I thought was hit softer than it was,” Hamilton said. “I took one little peek at the wall and that’s what did it, no excuses. It was my fault. Latos got behind on Recker. It’s frustrating. He should have been out of the inning.”

Zach Wheeler (10-9) pitched six solid innings, improving to 7-1 with a 2.21 ERA over his last 13 starts. The right-hander allowed one run and five hits.

Latos helped himself with a two-out single in the fifth. He came around to score on Skip Schumaker’s base hit.

TRAVELING MAN

Wheeler improved to 5-1 with a 2.08 ERA over his last 12 road starts. He has allowed one earned run or less in eight of those starts.

TARNISHED GOLD

Mets CF Juan Lagares committed just his third error of the season in 107 games. Hamilton committed just his second in 137 games.

STILL GOLD

Reds 2B Brandon Phillips has turned in 99 consecutive games without an error for a career-high streak. He made his last error against the Mets on April 5 in New York.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Mets: Rookie C Travis d’Arnaud got the day off.

Reds: Todd Frazier’s start on Sunday was his 19th straight since missing three games Aug. 15-17 with lower back problems. An All-Star third baseman, he had started eight of those games at first base.

UP NEXT

Mets: LHP Jonathon Niese (8-10) tries for his first win over Colorado since May 12, 2011, when the Mets open a nine-game homestand Monday with the first of three against the Rockies.

Reds: RHP Dylan Axelrod (1-1) makes his first career appearance against St. Louis as the Reds and Cardinals open a four-game series.

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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