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Giants pound Braves 10-4 to win series

By WTOP Staff

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Julio Teheran has pitched well most of the season — just not against the San Francisco Giants.

Teheran failed to make it out of the fourth inning Wednesday as the Giants pounded him and the Atlanta Braves 10-4 on a warm, windless day along San Francisco Bay.

“I had a hard time with my grip here and in Los Angeles,” Teheran said. “I was trying to find a way to get through it. It’s not an excuse. It’s this type of weather. I had a hard time.”

Hunter Pence, Michael Morse and Brandon Crawford homered, and Gregor Blanco accomplished a rare feat on the bases as the Giants continued to dominate the matchup of NL division leaders. San Francisco finished 5-1 against Atlanta this season.

Blanco became the fourth player for San Francisco to steal three bases and score three runs in a game. Bobby Bonds, Kevin Mitchell and Darren Lewis are the others.

“He wreaked havoc,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said.

The scoring surge gave Madison Bumgarner (5-3) more than enough room for error against a Braves offense that started out strong. Bumgarner allowed four runs and five hits in five innings, striking out five and walking one. Three relievers kept the Braves scoreless over the final four innings.

Teheran (2-3) lasted only 3 1-3 innings. He gave up five runs — four earned — and seven hits in his second loss to the Giants this season.

Teheran has given up 19 runs in nine starts this season — eight of those runs have come in two starts against San Francisco.

“They just kept coming. They kept tacking on runs,” Braves third baseman Chris Johnson said. “They’re a good team. The pitching staff is good. It’s deep and offensively top to bottom is good.”

The Giants totaled 15 hits and six walks in an all-around display of offense.

Pence finished with four hits and three RBIs, Crawford collected three hits and three RBIs, and Morse tied the injured Brandon Belt for the team lead with nine home runs.

Freddie Freeman and Johnson hit RBI doubles to give the Braves a 2-0 lead in the first. The Giants responded in the bottom half, scoring three runs, sending nine batters to the plate and forcing Teheran to throw 41 pitches.

Blanco extended San Francisco’s lead to 4-2 when he walked leading off the second, stole second and third and scored after catcher Evan Gattis sailed his throw to third into left field.

The Braves had three extra-base hits in a two-run fourth capped by Andrelton Simmons’ tying two-out triple just past the glove of a diving Blanco in right-center.

In the fifth, the Braves landed on the wrong side of the transfer rule, which has come under increased scrutiny this season with baseball’s expanded replay. Second base umpire Ron Kulpa called out Tyler Pastornicky on a forceout, though Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez argued that Brandon Hicks never closed his glove before dropping the ball as he tried to throw to first for a double play.

“If I had to do it over, I could have asked that (the umpires) get together and ask for help. Maybe someone saw it differently,” Gonzalez said.

Blanco added to his big day in the fifth with an RBI single off Alex Wood, then stole second and scored on Pence’s two-out single. Morse stretched San Francisco’s lead to 8-4, and Crawford added a two-run homer with the 66th “splash hit” in Giants history into McCovey Cove in the eighth.

“I don’t think there were any cheap homers,” Pence said.

NOTES: Giants 3B Pablo Sandoval left the game in the sixth with a sore left big toe. He is expected to be in the lineup Thursday, Bochy said. … Braves CF B.J. Upton was ejected in the sixth after arguing with home plate umpire Lance Barrett following his third strikeout. … Braves RF Jason Heyward had the day off. … RHP Matt Cain (0-3, 4.25 ERA) starts for the Giants on Thursday in the opener of a four-game series against the Marlins. … The Braves are off Thursday before beginning a three-game series at St. Louis on Friday.

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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