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Mets on brink of elimination after loss to Marlins

By WTOP Staff

RONALD BLUM
AP Sports Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — The chance to make the playoffs is all but gone for the New York Mets. Reaching .500 has pretty much slipped away, too.

The remaining goals are to overtake Miami and perhaps Atlanta in the NL East, and those will be hard to achieve following a 4-3 loss to the Marlins on Wednesday night.

“It would be huge for us. It would be a tremendous accomplishment — especially where we’re sitting right now with guys going down right and left around here,” manager Terry Collins said.

Wearing their bright orange alternate jerseys, the Marlins (74-77) built a 3-0 lead in the first two innings against Dillon Gee (7-8) and held on to open a two-game lead over the Mets for third place. New York (73-80) must go 8-1 to avoid a sixth straight losing season, one shy of the franchise record.

Gee gave up four runs and seven hits in 6 2-3 innings. He entered with a scoreless streak of 16 1-3 innings against the Marlins but threw a run-scoring wild pitch in the first and allowed Garrett Jones’ run-scoring hit on a squib that went 30 feet toward third base. Donovan Solano’s RBI single made it 3-0 in the second.

After a strong start, Gee is 3-7 with a 4.95 ERA since the All-Star break.

“A lot of things haven’t gone the way you want them to, but for the most part, I would say these last four or five outings I haven’t felt that bad,” Gee said.

Gee stroked a single into center in the fifth, prompting teammates to wave towels and stand and applaud in the dugout. He had been 0 for 35 this year and was hitless in 41 at-bats since singling off Miami’s Tom Koehler on Sept. 15 last year,

“It’s nice to finally get that hit, but it would have been nicer if it resulted in a win,” Gee said.

Henderson Alvarez (11-6) ended a three-start winless streak, allowing two runs and eight hits in six innings. Steve Cishek pitched his second perfect ninth of the series for his 37th save in 41 chances.

Lucas Duda hit a two-run single in the fifth, just the sixth hit for the Mets in 63 at-bats this year with the bases loaded and two outs. Wilmer Flores followed with a fly that Marcell Ozuna caught with a leap against the wall in left-center.

Christian Yelich restored a two-run lead with an RBI double off Josh Edgin in the seventh, and Curtis Granderson hit a run-scoring grounder against Chris Hatcher in the eighth.

Granderson bounced into a 4-6-3 double play in the fourth, the first time he had grounded into a double play in 616 plate appearances this season. Granderson had been the only regular starter in the major leagues without a GIDP and had not bounced into one since his first plate appearance of 2013 with the New York Yankees on May 14.

His streak of 859 plate appearances without one was the longest since Tony Womack went 981 in a row from May 27, 1997, to Aug. 5, 1998, according to STATS.

At this point, the Mets don’t have much to play for going into a three-game series at the Braves (76-76) starting Friday.

“We’re going to go into Atlanta and grind it out and try to finish as strong as we can,” Collins said.

IN THE SEATS

The Mets could stop their streak of years with decreasing home attendance at five if they average more than 28,120 for their season-ending, three-game series against Houston from Sept. 26-28. New York has drawn 2,051,296 for 77 dates, an average of 26,641. The Mets drew 2,135,657 for 80 dates last year, an average of 26,696.

SLUMPING

Mets rookie 2B Dilson Herrera, hitting .189 and in an 0-for-12 slide, was out of the starting lineup for the second straight night. “He might be getting run down just a hair. His swing has gotten a little long,” Collins said.

WALLY’S WORLD

Wally Backman, who completed his second season as manager of the Mets’ Triple-A team in Las Vegas, is to join the Mets starting Friday in Atlanta. “I’m glad he’s coming. He brings a lot to the table,” Collins said.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Mets CF Juan Lagares will be sidelined for a few days after spraining his right elbow Wednesday.

UP NEXT

RHP Zack Wheeler (10-10) starts Friday for the Mets against Atlanta RHP Julio Teheran (13-12).

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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