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Braun’s 2-run shot lifts Brewers over Reds 4-2

By WTOP Staff

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Brewers slugger Ryan Braun is showing signs he’s shaking off a two-week slump.

Fighting a 7-for-43 slide, Braun came through with a game-winning two-run home run in the eighth inning to lift Milwaukee to a 4-2 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday night.

Braun hit the ball hard in two of his first three at-bats Saturday, but still made outs.

“My swing has gone between terrible and awful the last two weeks,” he said. “But that’s the way the game of baseball goes sometimes.”

With one out in the eighth inning, Scooter Gennett ended up with a double after blooping a ball to center that Billy Hamilton got his glove on but couldn’t hold. Braun then drove the first pitch from reliever J.J. Hoover (1-5) over the right field fence for his 10th homer of the season and first since June 1.

Francisco Rodriguez pitched a scoreless ninth inning for his 21st save in 23 opportunities. Will Smith (1-0) got the win despite giving up a game-tying home run to Hamilton in the eighth inning.

“We know a lot about Hoover and know he likes to throw the fastball,” Braun said. “This is definitely encouraging and hopefully I can build off that and get going.”

Another encouraging sign for the Brewers was the performance of starting pitcher Yovani Gallardo, who went seven innings, allowing one run on six hits and two walks while striking out eight. It was the second straight strong outing for Gallardo, who struck out a season-high eight and allowed four hits in seven innings of a 1-0 victory over Pittsburgh June 8.

“I was able to make pitches tonight and get ahead of hitters,” he said.

Brewers manager Ron Roenicke likes what he’s seeing from Gallardo.

“He’s definitely on track,” Roenicke said. “His curveball was very good and has been for the past two games. If we can get that from him consistently, that’s really good.”

Gallardo needed to be very good Saturday to offset Reds starter Mat Latos, who threw 87 pitches over six shutout innings in his season debut, giving up two hits while striking out four. He started the season on the disabled list while recovering from elbow and knee surgeries.

Latos retired the first four hitters he faced before giving up a single to Aramis Ramirez. He then retired 13 hitters in a row before Gennett outlasted him in a long at-bat with two outs in the sixth inning. Gennett, who several times just got a piece of the ball to stay alive, hit the 13th pitch into left field for a double.

Braun then hit a drive to the center field wall that Hamilton caught, prompting Latos to thrust his fist in the air.

Latos said it was emotional to be back on the mound.

“It has been a struggle to get where I was today,” he said. “It is definitely good. The outcome kind of sucks, but that is baseball. They are in first place for a reason. You just got to come back strong tomorrow.”

The Reds grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first inning on Brandon Phillips’ RBI single.

The Brewers wasted no time in taking the lead after Latos left the game. Logan Ondrusek walked Jonathan Lucroy to start the seventh inning and Carlos Gomez lined a single. Both runners advanced on Ramirez’s fly out and Lucroy scored on Khris Davis’ groundout.

Rickie Weeks then singled to left to give the Brewers a 2-1 lead.

Hamilton tied the score in the bottom of the inning with his third home run of the season.

NOTES: To make room for Latos on the roster, the Reds put LHP Sean Marshall on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right shoulder. … The Brewers signed the team’s top three draft picks from the draft: LHP Kodi Medeiros, SS Jacob Gatewood and OF Monte Harrison. All three were at Miller Park Saturday and took batting practice before the game. … The Brewers will start RHP Marco Estrada (5-3) in Sunday’s series finale against the Reds’ Mike Leake (3-6).

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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