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Singleton’s HR helps Astros down Angels 7-2

By WTOP Staff

JORDAN GODWIN
Associated Press

HOUSTON (AP) — Hoping to help the Angels break out of a recent funk, C.J. Wilson instead struggled while battling a funk of his own.

Wilson was unable to locate his pitches in Tuesday night’s 7-2 loss to the Houston Astros. After the game he said he’s been dealing with flu-like symptoms for days.

“You’re not going to feel 100 percent, so you just go out there and give everything you have,” Wilson said. “Sometimes the balls find holes, and sometimes you can’t find the strike zone. It’s been pretty rare for me to have a game like that, but there it was.”

Wilson (6-5) walked a season-high five batters, including four in the third, in just 2 2-3 innings and the Angels lost their fourth straight, their worst skid since last August.

“I didn’t pitch very well, which is unfortunate, because our team needed that game tonight,” Wilson said. “You’re going to have a game like this every two years or something like that.”

It was Wilson’s shortest outing since Sept. 9, 2012.

Jon Singleton homered and had two RBIs in his major league debut for the Astros, and Chris Carter also homered. Jason Castro and Robbie Grossman drove in two runs apiece as Houston took the lead with a five-run third inning.

Josh Hamilton had a solo homer in the eighth inning in his return from the disabled list after breaking his left thumb on April 8. In the previous at-bat, Hamilton hit a towering fly ball to center field that Fowler caught on Tal’s Hill, just short of the 436-feet sign.

“Anywhere else in the world, he would have had two home runs except here,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said.

Shortly before going to the disabled list, Hamilton menaced the Astros in a four-game series by hitting .643 with two homers and six RBIs. After going 1 for 3 with a homer and a walk on Tuesday night, Hamilton is now hitting .588 at Minute Maid Park this season and .079 in four games elsewhere.

Adding to continued struggles from the starting pitching, the Angels have a new concern in the lineup.

Fellow outfielder Mike Trout was back after missing two games with a stiff back, but left in the second inning with more back trouble.

Trout will be evaluated on Wednesday and said he doesn’t know how he injured it.

“I just didn’t feel comfortable,” Trout said. “I didn’t want to risk it by pushing it too much … I don’t think it’s that severe, but we’ll see.”

Collin Cowgill replaced Trout and homered in the eighth.

Singleton walked and had two strikeouts and two errors at first base before he launched a towering shot off Matt Shoemaker into the bullpen in right-center in the eighth inning for his first major league hit to make it 6-2. Carter followed with his opposite field shot to the seats in right field to give Houston back-to-back homers for the first time this season.

Wilson walked three of the first four batters in the third inning to load the bases. Castro followed with his single to right field to put Houston up 2-0. Matt Dominguez singled to load the bases again and Wilson walked Singleton on four pitches to give the rookie his first career RBI.

He struck out Carter for the second out before Grossman’s full-count single drove in two more to stretch the lead to 5-0 and chase Wilson.

“It’s not like I gave up like two grand slams or something like that,” Wilson said. “They hit singles. I was making decent pitches and taking the sting out of the bat. But when you fall behind in the count too many times, they’re able to take better swings.”

Houston starter Collin McHugh (4-3) allowed two hits over five scoreless innings to lower his ERA to 2.52.

Los Angeles loaded the bases in the fourth after Albert Pujols singled, Hamilton walked and a batter was hit with two outs. McHugh escaped the jam when Chris Iannetta lined out to third.

NOTES: The Angels optioned right-hander Jarrett Grube to Salt Lake on Sunday to make room on the roster for Hamilton. … They also selected the contract of right-hander Cam Bedrosian from Double-A Arkansas and optioned right-hander Michael Kohn to Salt Lake. Bedrosian, a 22-year-old reliever, has a 1.47 ERA in 17 games this season for Arkansas. He struck out one in a scoreless sixth. … Houston optioned 1B Marc Krauss to Oklahoma City to make room on the roster for Singleton.

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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