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Arrieta takes no-hitter into 8th, Cubs blank Reds

By WTOP Staff

JACK CASSIDY
Associated Press

CHICAGO (AP) — In his previous start against the Cincinnati Reds, Jake Arrieta gave up six runs. This time around, he barely allowed a hit.

Arrieta (9-5) took a no-hit bid into the eighth inning before giving up Brandon Phillips’ one-out double, the only blemish for the Chicago Cubs pitcher in a 7-0 shutout Tuesday night.

The right-hander struck out a career-high 13 and walked one in his first major league complete game.

“It was nice to finally shake the catcher’s hand at the end of the game,” Arrieta said. “That’s something I’ve wanted to do my entire career.”

He was five outs from the first no-hitter at Wrigley Field in 42 years when Phillips drove an 0-2 pitch to deep left-center, just beyond the desperate dive of center fielder Matt Szczur on the warning track.

“I was planning on running through the wall if I had to,” Szczur said. “I was close.”

It was the third time this season Arrieta has flirted with a no-hitter.

He carried a perfect game into the seventh inning against Cincinnati on June 24 before Billy Hamilton singled. In his next outing, Arrieta held Boston hitless until Stephen Drew singled with two outs in the eighth.

When asked whether he ever believed Arrieta would finish the job, Cubs manager Rick Renteria responded with an emphatic “Yes!”

“As a baseball fan, this is one of the things when you come to the ballpark, you might get a chance to see something special,” Renteria said. “I thought that outing was pretty special.”

Chicago gave Arrieta plenty of run support against Reds ace Johnny Cueto (18-9). Chris Coghlan capped a five-run sixth inning with a three-run double, and Jorge Soler homered in the seventh.

Soler has five home runs and 15 RBIs in 14 games this season.

“I was not getting the location the way I want,” Cueto said. “That’s baseball — sometimes you have good outings and bad outings, and today was a bad outing.”

Cueto yielded six runs and five hits in 5 2-3 innings. He struck out eight.

Carlos Zambrano pitched the most recent no-hitter for the Cubs in 2008. He accomplished the feat against the Houston Astros at Miller Park in Milwaukee, a game that was moved because of a storm.

Milt Pappas threw the last no-hitter at Wrigley Field, an 8-0 victory for the Cubs over San Diego on Sept. 2, 1972.

Arrieta retired 21 of the first 22 batters he faced before allowing Phillips’ double. He issued a leadoff walk in the fourth to Hamilton, who was caught stealing on the next pitch.

“He was very good,” Reds manager Bryan Price said of Arrieta. “He was very sharp, was able to hit that low zone. There was some real bottom, borderline pitches that he was able to nail with some consistency.”

Arrieta has allowed two or fewer runs in 18 of his 24 starts this season. Previously, the longest outing of his career was on May 2, 2012, when he pitched eight scoreless innings for Baltimore against the New York Yankees.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cubs: OF Arismendy Alcantara injured his right hand making a game-saving catch against the outfield wall Monday. Alcantara, who had a wrap on his right hand and wrist, was held out of the starting lineup. “Right now, it’s just soreness,” Renteria said.

Reds: 1B Joey Votto took batting practice for the first time in nearly two months as he tries to work his way back from a left quadriceps injury. Votto, who hasn’t played since July 5, also took grounders for the second straight day.

UP NEXT

Cubs RHP Kyle Hendricks (6-2, 2.38 ERA), who earned NL rookie of the month honors for August, will face RHP Daniel Corcino (0-0, 5.19) in the finale of the three-game series Wednesday.

ONE RING CIRCUS

The fan who caught Soler’s home run ball in the seventh had his celebration cut short when his wedding band flew off his finger and onto the warning track as he was giving high-fives to others in the left-field bleachers. A Cubs security ambassador confirmed that a groundskeeper found and returned the ring shortly afterward.

GETTING HIS HACKS

Touted catching prospect Kyle Schwarber, selected fourth overall by the Cubs in this year’s draft, has hit 18 home runs in three minor league stops since June. He took batting practice with the team before Tuesday’s game. “On the field, you saw how quickly his bat translated,” President of Baseball Operations Theo Epstein said. “It’s a special bat.”

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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