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Arroyo hurting after D-Backs’ 6-3 victory vs LA

By WTOP Staff

JOE RESNICK
Associated Press

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Arizona Diamondbacks didn’t allow a victory against the Los Angeles keep their attention away from the big picture, which is keeping Bronson Arroyo healthy.

Arroyo left after five innings of Arizona’s 6-3 victory against the Dodgers on Sunday with elbow pain.

The right-hander informed manager Kirk Gibson that he couldn’t continue because of pain that had been bothering him since a 110-pitch complete-game victory over Washington on May 13.

“It wasn’t that much fun,” Arroyo said after throwing 78 pitches and allowing a run on five hits. “I was just getting outs on location and getting comfortable enough in that environment to throw a bunch of slop up there and get guys out. It’s been tough for a while. I’ve won the last three games not knowing if I could really get back out there inning to inning. How I’ve won all three, I have no idea.”

The 15-year veteran is expecting to get an MRI on Monday.

“When I was throwing 83-85, it was like manageable. But it’s slowly sliding downhill. So I may be facing the inevitable for the first time in two decades,” Arroyo said. “I can’t keep going out there pitching like I did today many more times. It’s just getting to the point where there’s too much pain, and it’s too difficult to get hitters out with that velocity time and time again.”

Paul Goldschmidt and Miguel Montero homered in support of Arroyo (7-4), helping the Diamondbacks avoid a three-game sweep.

Goldschmidt hit his 15th home run in the first inning against Josh Beckett (4-4) and Montero hit his 10th in the ninth, a two-run shot off Chris Perez.

For the second time in two games, Montero threw out Puig trying to steal second base in the first inning with Gonzalez at bat. Puig has been caught seven times on 14 steal attempts. Montero entered this series having thrown out only six of 39 runners.

Beckett was charged with four runs — three earned — and five hits through seven innings with six strikeouts and no walks.

Some absentmindedness by the Dodgers helped the Diamondbacks during a two-run seventh inning that increased the lead to 4-1.

Montero ended up with one-out infield single after second baseman Dee Gordon fielded his routine grounder and had neither first baseman Adrian Gonzalez nor Beckett covered the bag.

“I didn’t see it off the bat — and then when I saw it, I thought it was going to be between me and Dee. So I went to it,” said Gonzalez, a three-time Gold Glove winner.

Aaron Hill followed with a single to left field and continued to second as Matt Kemp tried to throw out Montero at third. Gordon then charged Martin Prado’s slow grounder with the infield playing in — and ran past the ball as it skidded into short-right-center. Both runners scored and Prado was credited with one RBI.

An error by Arizona shortstop Didi Gregorius on Jamie Romak’s leadoff grounder in the seventh gave the Dodgers some life. Lefty Oliver Perez, who came in with a scoreless streak of 11 innings over his previous 13 appearances, walked Drew Butera before pinch-hitter Justin Turner doubled.

Butera was hoping to score behind Romak, then slammed on the breaks after he was held up by coach Lorenzo Bundy. But Gregorius took the relay from Ross and threw to Prado for the tag on Butera.

“When the ball was hit, I was thinking home, but I think I was just a little too aggressive,” Butera said.

Perez then hit Gordon with an 0-2 pitch, but the D-backs escaped the inning still clinging to a 4-2 lead as Evan Marshall struck out Hanley Ramirez and retired Puig on a tapper back to the mound.

Brad Ziegler escaped the Dodgers’ eighth unscathed after retiring Romak on a double-play grounder with runners at the corners.

The Dodgers tied it in the second when Gonzalez drew a leadoff walk and scored on Romak’s groundout. The Diamondbacks regained the lead in the fifth when David Peralta doubled with two out, stole third and sprinted home on Beckett’s first wild pitch of the season.

NOTES: Ramirez added an RBI double in the ninth for Los Angeles. … Sixteen of Goldschmidt’s 79 big league homers have come in the first inning, more than he’s hit in any other frame. Goldschmidt has 13 homers, 44 RBIs and a .321 average against Dodgers pitching. The home run and RBI totals are his best against any club. … The Dodgers have only six home runs in 417 at-bats and 482 total plate appearances over their last 13 games. Gonzalez has gone 23 games without one and Puig is in a 16-game home run drought.

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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