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Skaggs earns win, Cron homers, Angels top Toronto

By WTOP Staff

IAN HARRISON
Associated Press

TORONTO (AP) — Tyler Skaggs put a bad start behind him in the best way possible: by carving up his next opponent.

Skaggs pitched into the ninth inning and retired 21 straight batters, leading the Los Angeles Angels over the Toronto Blue Jays 5-3 Saturday.

Rookie C.J. Cron hit his first major league homer and Chris Iannetta added a two-run shot as Angels won their sixth in a row at Toronto dating to 2012.

Skaggs (3-1), who gave up a season-worst six runs in 2 2-3 innings against Texas in his last start, turned things around with a superb performance against the Blue Jays.

“Outstanding,” said bench coach Dino Ebel, who ran the team for the second straight day while manager Mike Scioscia attended his daughter’s college graduation. “He pitched one heck of a game for us, took us into the ninth inning. Can’t say enough about the kid today.”

Iannetta said he was impressed at the way the 22-year-old Skaggs shrugged off his poor performance against the Rangers.

“Especially being so young, you see guys kind of wear that for a while,” Iannetta said. “He did a really good job of just focusing on executing pitches.”

Skaggs said he never really stewed over his loss to Texas, and was just happy to have his full arsenal of pitches working again.

“The two-seam was a huge pitch, unlike my last start where it wasn’t really working too well,” the left-hander said. “I threw a ton of two-seamers today and they kept grounding it into the ground and popping it up.”

Skaggs gave up two earned runs and four hits, leaving after Jose Reyes and Melky Cabrera started the bottom of the ninth with back-to-back singles.

Skaggs retired Dioner Navarro on a fly ball to end the first inning and didn’t permit another runner until the eighth.

Joe Smith gave up an RBI single to Jose Bautista in the ninth, then got Edwin Encarnacion to ground into a forceout. Navarro made it 5-3 with an RBI single before Smith got pinch-hitter Adam Lind to ground into a double play for his fourth save in six chances.

Making his second start since moving from the bullpen into the rotation last Monday, J.A. Happ (1-1) lasted just 2 1-3 innings, allowing four runs and seven hits.

“He got behind on a few counts and they made him pay,” Blue Jays catcher Erik Kratz said.

Skaggs improved to 3-0 with a 1.96 ERA in three road starts as the Angels won for the ninth time in 10 meetings with the Blue Jays. Toronto has lost two straight following a season-best five-game winning streak.

Blue Jays manager John Gibbons declined to speak to reporters following the game but did offer a brief statement through a team spokesman, saying “Skaggs was great, he manhandled us.”

Iannetta homered in the second and Cron hit a second-deck drive in the third.

“When he hit it, I got the chills because he crushed it pretty good,” Ebel said of Cron’s powerful blast. “It was great to see him get that head out and put it in the stands.”

Bautista reached on a fielding error by Skaggs in the first and scored on a two-out double by Encarnacion. Skaggs then began his streak of setting down Toronto hitters.

The string almost ended when Iannetta dropped a third strike to Juan Francisco in the eighth, but the catcher made a strong, off-balance throw to first for the out. Steve Tolleson followed with a double.

Happ retired the Angels in order in the first but ran into trouble in the second, when Los Angeles got five hits and scored three times.

NOTES: Scioscia is due to return Sunday. … Toronto failed to hit a home run for the first time in 10 games. … Blue Jays INF Brett Lawrie (right hamstring) missed his fifth straight game. Manager John Gibbons said Lawrie will see time at second base against right-handed starters when he returns, probably Monday, allowing Toronto to keep Francisco in the lineup at third. … Angels RHP Jered Weaver (3-2) faces RHP Drew Hutchison (1-2) in Sunday’s series finale. … Blue Jays reliever Sergio Santos pinch-ran for Navarro in the ninth.

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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