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Ibanez has winning RBI, Angels beat Blue Jays 4-3

By WTOP Staff

IAN HARRISON
Associated Press

TORONTO (AP) — Joe Smith and Ernesto Frieri insist they don’t mind which one of them is called on to pitch the ninth inning for the Los Angeles Angels, even if it means some bullpen mixing and matching from game to game.

Raul Ibanez drove in the tiebreaking run with a sacrifice fly in the ninth inning, Mike Trout hit a solo home run and the Angels won their fifth straight game in Toronto, beating the Blue Jays 4-3 on Friday night.

Smith returned after a four-game absence to work the eighth, giving up a game-tying homer to Jose Reyes. Frieri, who started the season as the closer before being replaced by Smith, finished it off with a perfect ninth, picking up his fourth save in six chances.

“Whenever they feel like they need me, I’m going to be ready,” Frieri said. “Doesn’t matter what inning, doesn’t matter what situation. I’m a competitor. I just want to compete.”

Smith said he’s equally untroubled about whether he’s the one handling setup duties or nailing down saves.

“I’m going to pitch whenever they need me,” he said. “Whatever helps us win.”

Bench coach Dino Ebel, who is managing the team for two days while Mike Scioscia attends his daughter’s college graduation, said he and pitching coach Mike Butcher decided before the game that Smith would get the call if the top of Toronto’s lineup was due up in the eighth.

“We felt Smith would be a good matchup for the top of that order and getting to (Jose) Bautista and (Edwin) Encarnacion,” Ebel said.

Erick Aybar had three hits and scored twice, including the decisive run in the ninth, as the Angels won for the eighth time in nine meetings with the Blue Jays and halted Toronto’s season-best winning streak at five games.

Ibanez called Aybar “an electric player to watch.”

Aybar tripled off Brett Cecil (0-3) to begin the ninth and Trout reached safely when first baseman Encarnacion couldn’t find the bag after taking the throw on Trout’s infield grounder. Albert Pujols was intentionally walked to load the bases for Ibanez.

Smith (2-0) got the win despite giving up Reyes’ homer, his first appearance since May 3 after being sidelined with a sore muscle in his right side.

“After not being out there for a couple of days it felt a little awkward,” Smith said. “I missed with a pitch right down the middle and that’s what happens.”

Toronto took an early lead against right-hander Garret Richards. Reyes led off the first with a single, moved to second when Melky Cabrera walked and came around to score on two wild pitches.

The Angels tied it in the second when Efren Navarro hit a two-out double and scored on Collin Cowgill’s single.

Trout made it 2-1 with a leadoff homer in the third, but the Blue Jays tied it again in the bottom half on Richards’ third wild pitch of the game, with Cabrera coming home after the ball bounced away from catcher Hank Conger.

The Angels thought they had reclaimed the lead when Ibanez slid home after a wild pitch by Toronto’s Dustin McGowan sailed to the backstop in the fifth. Blue Jays manager John Gibbons challenged the call by plate umpire Angel Hernandez and Ibanez was ruled out after a replay review that took 3 minutes and 20 seconds.

McGowan allowed two runs and seven hits in five innings. He walked two and struck out two.

“I thought he labored most of the night,” Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said.

Los Angeles broke the tie with a run off Sergio Santos in the seventh. Aybar doubled and went to third on a grounder before Pujols was intentionally walked. After Ibanez walked to load the bases, Steve Delabar came on and walked Howie Kendrick on four pitches to give the Angels a 3-2 lead.

Richards allowed two runs and five hits in seven innings. He walked two and struck out six.

“Richards is one of the best young pitchers in the game,” Gibbons said. “He can overpower you.”

NOTES: Navarro was recalled from Triple-A Salt Lake City before the game and made his first major league start in the outfield. … Blue Jays 3B Brett Lawrie (right hamstring) missed his fourth straight game. … The Blue Jays wore red caps to mark Canada’s National Day of Honour, a tribute to those who fought in the war in Afghanistan. A moment of silence was held before the anthems. Angels LH Tyler Skaggs (2-1) faces Toronto LH J.A. Happ (1-0) on Saturday.

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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