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Phillies’ Burnett gets majors-worst 17th loss

By WTOP Staff

SAN DIEGO (AP) — A.J. Burnett and the Philadelphia Phillies are looking forward to putting a forgettable season behind them.

Alexi Amarista had three hits, including a go-ahead two-run homer off Burnett, to lift the San Diego Padres to a 5-4 win over the Phillies on Tuesday night.

Burnett (8-17) took over the major league lead in losses, and the defeat ensured Philadelphia (69-82) its second consecutive losing season.

When asked to characterize his disappointing year, Burnett was in no mood to discuss it.

“We’ll describe it when the season is over,” he said.

Amarista’s two-out homer in the sixth inning followed a walk to Jake Goebbert and put the Padres ahead 4-3. Amarista, who doubled in the second and singled in the fourth, fell a triple short of the cycle when he grounded out in the eighth.

“I’m not going to make excuses,” Burnett said. “I messed up. I walked a guy, and the curveball (to Amarista) wasn’t down enough.”

Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg also lamented getting beaten by the lower portion of the lineup.

“A two-out walk and a two-run home run to bottom of the order guys,” he said.

Burnett, who has gone 2-8 in his last 10 starts, gave up five runs — four earned — and eight hits in 5 2-3 innings. He also walked four batters to increase his major league-leading total to 87.

Burnett struck out four to pass Phillies Hall of Famer Robin Roberts for 43rd place on baseball’s career strikeout list with 2,361.

Amarista, acquired by the Padres in a May 2012 trade with the Angels, has already equaled or surpassed his career highs in plate appearances, runs, hits, home runs and RBIs.

San Diego won its second straight game after dropping nine of 11. The Phillies have lost seven of 11.

Ian Kennedy (11-13) pitched six innings for the win. The right-hander allowed three runs and three hits with seven strikeouts and four walks. Kennedy had lost his previous two starts, giving up double-digit hits in both outings.

Freddy Galvis hit a two-run homer in the fifth inning to give the Phillies a 3-2 lead. Dominic Brown had a solo homer in the second.

Philadelphia, held to one hit by Andrew Cashner in a 1-0 loss on Monday night, managed just five hits against Kennedy and three relievers.

Kevin Quackenbush allowed an RBI single to pinch-hitter Darin Ruf in the ninth before earning his fourth save in five chances.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Phillies: SS Jimmy Rollins took infield practice but is still not expected back before the weekend. Rollins has been out since Sept. 8 because of a strained left hamstring.

Padres: OF Seth Smith missed the start due to a sore right hamstring, although he walked as a pinch-hitter. Smith tweaked his hamstring while making the final out on Monday. The left-handed hitting Smith isn’t scheduled to start on Wednesday night with Phillies lefty Cole Hamels on the mound.

UP NEXT

Phillies: Hamels (8-7, 2.51 ERA), a San Diego native, has had great success facing his hometown team with an 8-2 record and an ERA of 2.21 in 15 career starts.

Padres: LHP Eric Stults (7-16, 4.49) will try to avoid tying Burnett for the major-league lead with 17 losses.

JUST SHORT OF THE CYCLE — AGAIN

With Amarista missing the cycle, the Padres and Miami Marlins are the only teams in the majors to not have a player accomplish the feat. It was the 358th time, the Padres have had a player fall one hit short.

ANOTHER LOSING SEASON

The loss dropped Philadelphia to 69-82, ensuring the club’s second consecutive losing season with 11 games remaining. It is also the third straight non-winning season after the team went 81-81 in 2012.

IT NEVER RAINS IN CALIFORNIA

With a rare summer shower that moved through San Diego in the late afternoon, although it missed Petco Park, the Padres issued a thunder alert. Early-arriving fans were cautioned to take cover until the alert was lifted 45 minutes before the game.

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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