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Reds power past Brewers 13-4 with 3 homers

By WTOP Staff

GENARO C. ARMAS
AP Sports Writer

MILWAUKEE (AP) — The Miller Park roof was open and the wind was blowing out to center. With a home run-prone pitcher on the mound for the Milwaukee Brewers, the conditions were ripe for the Cincinnati Reds to have a big day at the plate.

Billy Hamilton got the slugging started by leading the game off with a home run, and the Reds finished Sunday afternoon with eight runs over the final two innings to send Milwaukee fans to the exits early in a 13-4 victory.

Brandon Phillips added a two-run shot in the first inning and Todd Frazier later hit his team-high 15th homer for the Reds. Hamilton connected for the second straight day, off Marco Estrada (5-4).

“We know we can do it, but we haven’t been doing it a lot,” Frazier said. “Today, it showed we can do those (kinds) of things and we got a pitcher that we can hit a little bit.”

The Reds moved back within two games of .500 despite a rocky outing by Mike Leake (4-6), who allowed four runs on nine hits and three walks in five innings. Cincinnati took two of three from the NL Central-leading Brewers.

“It was definitely big,” manager Bryan Price said. “We’re establishing the fact that we can play this team very well.”

His offense collected some gaudy statistics, including a season-high 19 hits. Among other highlights:

–Ten different Reds scored runs.

–A career-high three doubles for Ryan Ludwick, who went 4 for 5.

–Six players with at least two hits.

“Things didn’t go right on the mound for us,” Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said.

Hot dog wrappers were blowing around the warning track early in the game, a bad sign for Estrada. The right-hander who made mistakes up in the zone has given up a major league-high 23 homers in just 84 innings, with 18 coming since May 1.

“Mentally, I felt great. Physically, I felt great. I think I just tried way too hard and that’s what happens,” Estrada said. “I was rushing stuff, leaving balls up and got hit around. Once that inning was over, I came back in and calmed down.”

The Reds led 3-0 in the fourth when Milwaukee loaded the bases with two outs on an intentional walk to Jean Segura. Estrada followed with his RBI chopper up the middle and Scooter Gennett then sliced a double the other way down the left-field line to tie it.

Milwaukee might have scored even more in the inning had Carlos Gomez not been doubled off first after taking off on Aramis Ramirez’s long fly to right tracked down at the warning track by Jay Bruce.

Frazier followed with his two-run shot the next inning to put Cincinnati up for good. Hamilton led off the inning with a single and drew a few pickoff throws before Frazier homered on an 0-1 fastball up in the zone.

Leake gave up Jonathan Lucroy’s homer to center leading off the bottom of the fifth to get the Brewers within 5-4 before the Reds broke it open with five runs in the eighth. Brewers reliever Rob Wooten allowed six straight hits without recording an out and watched his ERA balloon by nearly two runs to 4.98.

“I did what I could, but our offense really came around today,” Leake said.

Lucroy added a double to go 2 for 4 and raised his average to .336.

NOTES: Reds LHP Tony Cingrani pitched scoreless two innings in his first relief appearance since getting bumped from the rotation following the return of starter Mat Latos from the disabled list. … Brewers LHP Tom Gorzelanny tossed a scoreless sixth inning in his season debut after coming off the disabled list Saturday. Gorzelanny had offseason shoulder surgery. … The Reds have an off-day Monday before starting a series Tuesday in Pittsburgh. … RHP Wily Peralta (6-5) has returned to the Brewers after attending to a personal matter in his native Dominican Republic. Peralta, who did not miss a start, said he is ready for his next outing Monday in Arizona.

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Follow Genaro Armas at http://twitter.com/GArmasAP

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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