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Wainwright shutout, 19th win as Cards beat Brewers

By WTOP Staff

JASON L. YOUNG
Associated Press

ST. LOUIS (AP) — With gruesome pictures of Giancarlo Stanton’s smashed-up face all over the Internet, it’s hard to forget what an errant pitch can do.

Mike Fiers had no choice.

“It’s a different day, different team,” he said. “You just got to go out there and focus on what I can do. It’s not going to be good if you think about your last outing, last game if you did bad. It’s not how this game goes. You’ve got to look past the short memory.”

Fiers pitched strong through seven innings, but it wasn’t enough as Adam Wainwright posted his 19th win, pitching a shutout Wednesday night as the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Milwaukee Brewers 2-0 to hold their 2 1/2-game edge in the NL Central.

St. Louis has won four of five and kept its advantage over second-place Pittsburgh. Milwaukee dropped 2 1/2 games behind the Pirates for the second NL wild-card spot.

Fiers (6-3) held the Cardinals hitless until Wainwright singled up the middle with two outs in the sixth. It was Fiers’ first start since beaning Stanton last week, ending his season.

He gave up one earned run and three hits against the Cardinals.

“I don’t know what Michael was thinking coming into the game,” manager Ron Roenicke said. “He was really good the last couple of days talking to him. But it’s hard to say. Until we saw the first inning, I wasn’t sure what was going to happen. I saw the way he was throwing the ball and I said ‘OK, we’re back to normal.'”

Wainwright could say the same thing. It was his fourth consecutive win after a dreadful August during which he lost four of six starts and had a 5.17 ERA.

“For a long while I wasn’t very good,” he said. “It was good to be back making pitches when I need to.”

Wainwright (19-9) worked around seven hits and tied for the major league lead in wins and shutouts.

It was the second time in less than two weeks Wainwright went the distance against Milwaukee. He gave up one run to the Brewers in a 9-1 victory on Sept. 7 at Milwaukee that gave the Cardinals a season-best 4 ½ game advantage.

“I would say that was an impressive pitching performance,” St. Louis manager Mike Matheny said. “He had everything and then when you watch the ninth and see ninety five pop up there (on the radar) and you realize that this guy still had a lot in the tank.

“He’s a special pitcher when he gets it all right.”

Wainwright struck out seven and walked two in his ninth career shutout. He has thrown three shutouts this year, matching Detroit’s Rick Porcello and Miami’s Henderson Alvarez for most in the majors.

Wainwright and Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw are atop the majors in wins.

This was the Cardinals’ 21st shutout of the season, their most since 1968 when Bob Gibson and the rest of the staff had 30.

“Wainwright gave up more hits but he was able to pitch out of jams,” Fiers said. “Pretty much the only jam I got into, they made the hits when they had to and they needed to. I needed to be better in that one inning, I wasn’t, so they capitalize.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cardinals: RHP Michael Wacha, whose last start was skipped after he struggled in his return from a shoulder injury, is scheduled to start Saturday against Cincinnati. In two starts this month, he pitched seven innings and had a 7.71 ERA. Wacha threw his third bullpen session since his last start on Wednesday and did enough to convince manager Matheny he was ready.

UP NEXT

Brewers: Kyle Lohse (12-9, 3.81 ERA) pitches Thursday night against the Cardinals. He has lost five of his past six decisions, including twice to St. Louis. In those two losses, in which he lasted four innings both times, Lohse gave up 14 runs on 13 hits, including four homers.

Cardinals: Shelby Miller (10-9, 3.75) has given up one earned run over 20 innings in three starts this month. He has won his past two decisions, following four consecutive no decisions. Miller won both of his starts against Milwaukee this season, giving up four runs in 12 innings.

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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