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Hernandez gem leads Seattle past Angels 3-1

By WTOP Staff

TIM BOOTH
AP Sports Writer

SEATTLE (AP) — Even in the middle of his best outing this season and coming within one out of his first complete game since August 2012, Felix Hernandez took notice of the stadium radar gun flashing numbers in the mid-90s when his fastball cracked the glove.

“I’ve still got it,” Seattle’s ace said with a sly grin.

Riding that fastball carrying a little more zip, Hernandez took a shutout bid into the ninth inning as the Mariners beat the Los Angeles Angels 3-1 on Wednesday night.

On the verge of a brilliant shutout and first complete game since Aug. 27, 2012 against Minnesota, Hernandez couldn’t get the 27th out. He gave up a two-out single to Mike Trout and an RBI double to Albert Pujols that took away the shutout and the complete game and caused Seattle manager Lloyd McClendon to turn to his closer.

Still, the effort by Hernandez (7-1) continued a dominant run. He won his fourth consecutive start and became the seventh pitcher in Mariners history with seven victories before June 1.

In those last four starts, Hernandez has allowed eight earned runs in 31 1-3 innings with 30 strikeouts. He now has a 57-7 record in his career when pitching at least eight innings.

“I think we’re all getting accustomed to how he’s been throwing. He’s just coming out and establishing the fastball early and going to his off speed pitches when he needs to,” Seattle catcher Mike Zunino said.

Providing the offense behind Hernandez’s gem was Zunino, who homered and drove in all of Seattle’s runs. He gave the Mariners the lead with a two-out, two-run single in the second and led off the eighth with a home run off C.J. Wilson (6-4).

Wilson was nearly the equal of Hernandez. Also trying to get his seventh win, Wilson allowed just five hits and struck out five before getting lifted with two outs in the eighth.

Five of Zunino’s seven homers this season have come in Hernandez starts. But he was more pleased with the single in the second inning that scored Justin Smoak and Kyle Seager.

“When you can do that with two outs and put the team on the board early and see some pitches, that was the biggest thing for me and gave you confidence as the game went on,” Zunino said.

Hernandez cruised through the eighth, still hitting the mid-90s mph on the stadium radar gun and closed the inning striking out Hank Conger. There was very little discussion with McClendon and Hernandez jogged from the dugout to start the ninth to a big ovation having allowed just two hits.

He struck out Collin Cowgill swinging and retired Howie Kendrick on a fly ball. But Trout and Pujols wouldn’t let Hernandez finish it off. He struck out nine and walked two.

Closer Fernando Rodney entered and got David Freese to line out for his 13th save of the season.

“He was strong. He felt great. It’s just tough there, you have to weigh the players but also what is good for the team,” McClendon said. “I had my closer up and he was ready to go so we thought it was the best matchup.”

Hernandez struck out five of the first nine batters by changing up his game plan. He relied more on his fastball early and went to off speed pitches later in the game. Kendrick ended any thoughts of another special night from Hernandez with a solid single leading off the fourth. Trout then walked, but Hernandez skirted the jam thanks to Zunino throwing out Kendrick trying to steal third and Freese’s strikeout.

The only other hit before the ninth was Erick Aybar’s single in the fifth.

“We really didn’t get a chance to pressure him much and the couple of times we did we couldn’t get the runs across,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said.

NOTES: Matt Shoemaker will start Thursday’s series finale for the Angels. He was recalled from Triple-A Salt Lake after LHP Sean Burnett tore a ligament in his pitching elbow in Tuesday’s game. LHP Wade LeBlanc, the original starter, will now work out of the bullpen. … Seattle RHP Taijuan Walker (shoulder) made his first rehab start at Triple-A Tacoma on Wednesday night and threw three innings, giving up five hits, four earned runs and striking out three. He threw 61 pitches.

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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