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Angels regroup to beat Braves 11-6 in 13 innings

By WTOP Staff

CHARLES ODUM
AP Sports Writer

ATLANTA (AP) — As acting manager for the day, Angels bench coach Dino Ebel asked for a close game so he could make lots of moves.

Ebel got his wish with a marathon game packed with momentum shifts.

Kole Calhoun’s bases-loaded single in the 13th inning drove in the go-ahead run and the Los Angeles Angels recovered after blowing a four-run lead in the ninth to beat the Atlanta Braves 11-6 Saturday night.

“That was fun,” Ebel said, grinning after the game. “It was a roller-coaster ride, but it was good.”

Angels manager Mike Scioscia missed the game to attend the funeral of former Dodgers teammate Bob Welch in Arizona.

Mike Trout and Albert Pujols each had three hits, including back-to-back homers in the sixth inning, and drove in four runs.

Evan Gattis homered for Atlanta.

The Angels won despite blowing a 5-1 lead in the ninth and a 6-5 lead in the 10th.

“We never quit and they never quit,” Trout said. “Give them props. They scored four runs against us in the ninth. But we kept battling and put ourselves in position to win the game.”

Erick Aybar led off the 13th with his fourth hit, an infield single, and moved to second on catcher Gerald Laird’s passed ball. David Hale (2-1) walked pinch-hitter C.J. Wilson and hit Chris Iannetta with a pitch to load the bases.

Calhoun’s soft fly ball fell just in front of center fielder B.J. Upton, who attempted a sliding catch, to give Los Angeles the lead. Trout’s two-run double and Pujols’ two-run single pushed the lead to five runs.

“I just can’t walk people like that,” Hale said. “That was the big problem.”

The teams combined to use 16 pitchers in a game that lasted nearly 5 hours.

Fernando Salas (4-0) pitched two scoreless innings.

Josh Hamilton drove in Pujols with a single off Craig Kimbrel in the 10th inning to give the Angels a 6-5 lead. The Braves pulled even on Jason Heyward’s run-scoring, broken-bat single off rookie Cam Bedrosian.

The Braves trailed 5-1 before scoring four runs in the ninth on five straight hits off Ernesto Frieri, costing Garrett Richards a win after he set a career high with 10 strikeouts in six scoreless innings. B.J. Upton had a two-run triple and Freddie Freeman’s double drove in the tying run.

Frieri gave up four runs without recording an out.

“Ernie just got the ball up and they squared it up,” Ebel said. “He’ll get the ball again.”

Bedrosian faced immediate drama in the 10th. Tommy La Stella led off with a single and moved to second when Bedrosian dropped the ball on the mound for a balk. With his father, former Braves pitcher Steve Bedrosian, watching from a luxury suite, the young Bedrosian recorded one out before giving up an infield hit to pinch-hitter Ramiro Pena and Heyward’s tying single to right field.

An intentional walk to Freeman loaded the bases before right fielder Calhoun charged toward the infield to make a diving catch on Justin Upton’s fly ball, ending the inning.

“Beautiful,” said Ebel of the catch.

“Awesome,” added Trout. “It saved the game for sure.”

Richards allowed only four hits with three walks. He has allowed a combined 12 hits and one run in three dominant June starts.

Pujols drove in the Angels’ first run off Gavin Floyd with a sacrifice fly in the fourth.

Ebel improved to 3-0 this season as Scioscia’s stand-in. Ebel was the acting manager for two wins when Scioscia was attending his daughter’s college graduation in May.

Floyd allowed four runs on seven hits in 6 1-3 innings.

NOTES: Richards’ previous career high was nine strikeouts in two games this season — May 3 against Texas and June 4 at Houston. … B.J. Upton’s two-base fielding error on Aybar’s single in the eighth set up an unearned run off Jordan Walden. … LHP Alex Wood gave up two hits in 3 2-3 scoreless innings for Triple-A Gwinnett on Friday night. It was Wood’s first appearance since he was sent down to be stretched out as a starter. … Gattis extended his career-best hitting streak to 14 games. … Braves LHP Mike Minor will face Angels LHP Hector Santiago when the three-game series ends on Sunday night. Santiago is 0-6.

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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