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Simon gives up 2 HRs to start, Rockies rout Reds

By WTOP Staff

GARY SCHATZ
Associated Press

CINCINNATI (AP) — Alfredo Simon gave up home runs to Charlie Blackmon and Corey Dickerson to start the game, and the Cincinnati Reds never got any closer.

Dickerson hit two home runs and two doubles, driving in a career-high four runs Saturday night as the Colorado Rockies routed the Reds 11-2.

Simon (4-2), who has filled in admirably for the injured Mat Latos in the Reds’ rotation, had six quality starts to begin the season.

“He made some mistakes up in the zone,” Reds manager Bryan Price said. “When he is on you see batters pound the ball in the ground. He just couldn’t get the ball down.”

Justin Morneau homered off Simon in the third. It tied Simon’s career high for home runs allowed — the last time Simon gave up that many, he was in the Baltimore rotation in 2011.

Troy Tulowitzki later homered for the Rockies and Nolan Arenado doubled twice, a day after his 28-game hitting streak ended.

The Rockies got 11 extra-base hits, making things easy for Jordan Lyles (5-0). He struck out eight in six innings and left with a 10-2 lead.

“Their lineup was very comfortable,” Price said. “We are a team that uses both sides of the plate. Simon threw a lot of pitches over the middle.”

Simon was tagged a season-high eight hits and five runs in three innings.

“Today wasn’t one of our best games,” said catcher Brayan Pena, who is also filling in for the injured Devin Mesoraco. “That is a very hot lineup. Everybody knows Simon is a sinkerball pitcher. Today he was up a little bit. He feels bad about it. He came in to watch film.”

Blackmon led off the game with his eighth homer of the season and Dickerson followed with his third. It was the first time in team history that the Rockies had hit a pair of home runs to start a game.

Joey Votto, who hit a game-winning homer for the Reds in the ninth inning Friday night, hit his sixth shot in the second.

The Rockies started to pull away with a three-run third, beginning with Dickerson’s double. Arenado’s double set up Morneau’s eighth home run.

Blackmon and Dickerson hit RBI doubles in the fourth.

Dickerson’s second homer was a two-run shot that sailed 433 feet into the right-field seats in the sixth. Tulowitzki followed with his 11th homer of the season and second in two nights, a 386-foot shot into the left field seats.

The Reds starters were tied with Milwaukee’s starters for the most innings in the National League coming into the game.

“We needed a couple of guys to go two innings tonight. We had six innings to cover,” Price said. “Nick Christiani and J.J. Hoover gave up runs in their first inning but finished strong. We should be fine.”

NOTES: The Reds activated LHP Aroldis Chapman from the 15-day disabled list and optioned RHP Curtis Partch to Triple-A Louisville before the game. Chapman had missed the entire season after being struck in the face by a line drive in a spring training game on March 19 and undergoing surgery. … Despite doubling as a pinch-hitter on Friday night, Reds CF Billy Hamilton missed his seventh consecutive start because of sprained knuckles on two fingers of his left hand. Price wanted to make sure Hamilton is 100 percent, he said. “You can expect him to be in there (Sunday), I think it’s safe to say,” Price said.

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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