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Hendriks wins again, pitches Cubs past Reds

By WTOP Staff

PATRICK ROSE
Associated Press

CHICAGO (AP) — Bryan Price’s lineup filled out with September call-ups and bench players didn’t do much to kick start a dismal Reds offense.

Kyle Hendricks kept up his impressive rookie season, pitching seven strong innings as the Chicago Cubs beat Cincinnati 3-1 Wednesday night for a sweep.

The Reds have dropped four in a row overall. They scored just one run in the three-game series against the Cubs, and were held to one hit in a shutout loss Tuesday night.

“It’s been a tough road trip to this point. We’re 1-5, scored 10 runs in six games, five of those in our one win. We can certainly talk all we want about day one and day three here. Day one, we had a mix of our regulars and some of our younger guys, today we kind of blanketed the lineup with our call-ups and some of our bench guys,” said Price. “We’ve just really struggled to score runs.”

Chris Valaika, Ryan Kalish and Luis Valbuena each had a run-scoring hit as the Cubs won their third straight. They improved to 38-36 at Wrigley Field despite being 16 games under .500 overall.

Hendricks (7-2) allowed one run and seven hits. He walked none, struck out four and left with a 2.28 ERA.

The right-hander, who wasn’t promoted to the majors until July, bounced back nicely from his last start where he allowed four runs in six innings in an 11-1 loss at Toronto.

Hector Rondon pitched the ninth for his 25th save in 29 chances.

Daniel Corcino (0-1) lost in his second big league start.

The Reds didn’t waste any time jumping on top. Leadoff batter Kristopher Negron started the game with a double and later scored on a grounder by Yorman Rodriguez.

But that would be all the Reds could manage against Hendricks. Their best scoring opportunity after the opening inning came in the seventh when, with two on and two out, Negron hit a liner towards the left-field wall that Chris Coghlan caught before running into the ivy.

Hendricks gave credit to Coghlan for preserving his strong outing.

“I didn’t think that was gonna stay in when he first hit it. Coghlan — what can I say? — I mean, going back, jumping up there, he saved the game, really,” said Hendricks.

Negron also just missed an RBI extra bases hit in Cincinnati’s 1-0 loss on Monday.

“But that’s how Wrigley Field played on this trip. “It played to the advantage of the pitcher and they were able to take advantage more than we did,” said Price.

The Cubs scored twice in the second. Jorge Soler walked and later scored on a single by Valaika. Kalish hit a double to center that appeared to score two runners, but Valaika was sent back to third when the ball was lost in the ivy for a ground-rule double.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Reds: 1B Joey Votto (left knee) continues to make progress and the hope is he can return to the lineup before the end of the season.

Cubs: CF-2B Arismendy Alcantara missed a second straight game with a mild sprain of the right wrist. He is listed as day-to-day.

NEW LOW

The Reds dropped to a season-low 11 games under .500 and have lost four in a row for the second time this month.

UP NEXT

Reds: Off on Thursday before continuing the road trip Friday night in St. Louis. LHP David Holmberg (1-1, 6.00) pitches the opener for the Reds.

Cubs: Host the NL West-leading Los Angeles on Thursday in the first of a four-game series. LHP Tsuyoshi Wada (4-3, 3.34) takes on RHP Zack Greinke (15-8, 2.64) in the opener.

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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