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Gyorko powers Padres past Marlins 10-1

By WTOP Staff

SAN DIEGO (AP) — The San Diego Padres’ struggling offense finally had a breakout performance — 37 games into the season.

Jedd Gyorko hit two home runs off Jose Fernandez, including a grand slam, in the Padres’ 10-1 rout of the Miami Marlins on Friday night.

Gyorko had a career-high six RBIs as the majors’ worst offense scored its season high in runs and had its first genuine laugher.

“I’m trying to think, have we had one?” Padres manager Bud Black asked. “Those type of games happen and it’s rare that we have only had one. There are two ways to look at it for me. On the positive side, there is more of that to come.”

For Gyorko, the win had more meaning coming less than 24 hours after his key error preceded Giancarlo Stanton’s go-ahead two-run homer in the 11th inning of the Marlins’ 3-1 win Thursday night.

“That was probably one of the lowest points of my career, to be honest,” Gyorko said. “To pretty much cost your team a game, it’s good to bounce back. It’s good to show that resiliency.”

Gyorko, who came into the game hitting just .146, connected for a two-run shot in the second and a grand slam in the sixth.

“Hopefully, a game like this can jump-start an offense,” Gyorko said. “It’s still to be determined.”

The Padres hope this game can spark the 25-year-old Gyorko, whom they signed to a five-year, $35 million contract extension last month.

“Guys are capable of those types of performances,” Black said. “Not that Jedd is going to hit two homers and hit a grand slam, but he’s capable of knocking in some runs.”

The Padres, who came in averaging a major league-low 2.6 runs per game, snapped a three-game losing streak. It was their highest-scoring game since a 12-2 victory over Arizona last Sept. 25.

San Diego sent 11 men to the plate during a six-run sixth inning that broke it open. The Padres’ previous high for runs in a single game this season was six.

The run support was not lost on starter Tyson Ross (4-3), for whom the Padres had scored more than three runs just twice in his previous seven starts.

“It’s huge early in the game,” he said. “The hitters did a great job with their approach. They had some good at-bats early and got on the board and really broke it open.”

Fernandez (4-2) was charged with six runs on six hits in five-plus innings. The right-hander, who won the NL Rookie of the Year award last season, was 2-0 with a sparkling 0.60 ERA in his previous four starts.

“It was a tough one,” Fernandez said. “I was trying to do what I do, go out there and compete. But mostly my stuff wasn’t there today, my fastball really wasn’t there.”

Miami manager Mike Redmond knew it right away.

“It just wasn’t his night. You could tell from the first inning on he was up in the zone and they hit some balls hard off him,” Redmond said. “We really didn’t get anything going offensively either and we didn’t help him there.”

Ross was working on a shutout before Marcell Ozuna homered in the seventh inning. The righty allowed four hits and struck out eight in seven innings.

Tim Stauffer and Kevin Quackenbush each pitched an inning to close out the combined four-hitter.

San Diego won for just the third time in 10 games and snapped the Marlins’ five-game winning streak.

Gyorko’s fourth homer in the second came after Yasmani Grandal reached on a throwing error by first baseman Garrett Jones.

Everth Cabrera sparked the Padres’ biggest inning of the season with a leadoff single in the sixth. Seth Smith singled and Grandal walked to load the bases for Gyorko, who turned on a 2-0 fastball and hit it into the second deck of the Western Metal Supply Building down the left-field line.

It was Gyorko’s second career multi-homer game and his second grand slam.

Fernandez had beaten the Padres in two previous starts by giving up just five hits in 14 2-3 scoreless innings with 18 strikeouts.

NOTES: Marlins RHP Carlos Marmol was struck in the back by a ball off Kyle Blanks’ bat while stretching during San Diego’s batting practice. Marmol said he was fine. … Barring an injury, Padres 3B Chase Headley (strained right calf) will be activated from the 15-day DL on Saturday. Headley was scheduled to play Friday night with Single-A Lake Elsinore. … The San Diego State men’s basketball team that won the Mountain West Conference regular-season title and reached the Sweet 16 in the NCAA tournament was honored before the game. … Marlins RHP Nathan Eovaldi (2-1, 2.78 ERA) opposes Padres LHP Eric Stults (1-3, 5.40) on Saturday night.

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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