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La Stella stays hot, Braves drop Angels, 7-3

By WTOP Staff

CHARLES ODUM
AP Sports Writer

ATLANTA (AP) — Manager Fredi Gonzalez says Tommy La Stella is playing as if he is looking for another promotion. That’s how comfortable the rookie second baseman has looked in his first three weeks in the major leagues.

La Stella had three hits, including a two-run double in Atlanta’s four-run sixth, and the Braves beat Hector Santiago and the Los Angeles Angels 7-3 on Sunday night.

La Stella is hitting .411 with at least two hits in nine of his 16 games.

“I think La Stella thinks there’s another league, the way he carries himself,” Gonzalez said. “So it doesn’t surprise me that he feels this comfortable right away.”

La Stella has put a lock on the second base job with strong defense and his impressive start at the plate.

“I wouldn’t say surprised,” La Stella said when asked about his continued strong hitting. “Anytime you have a shot, especially in the big leagues, you want to start off on the right foot. I’ve been able to do that and hopefully I can keep going.”

Evan Gattis and Justin Upton also had run-scoring singles in the sixth as the Braves rallied against Santiago (0-7). Jason Heyward homered in the seventh and made two strong defensive plays in right field to take hits away from Mike Trout.

Trout had three hits, including a homer. Erick Aybar also homered for the Angels before leaving the game with a sore left hip.

Manager Mike Scioscia said he hopes Aybar can play Monday. He said Aybar first hurt his hip in Saturday night’s game.

Anthony Vavaro (2-1) had three strikeouts in two perfect innings for the win.

The Braves moved back into first place in the NL East by winning two of three from the Angels, who remain in second in the AL West.

David Carpenter gave up a single to Trout before hitting Albert Pujols with a pitch with one out in the ninth. Craig Kimbrel struck out Josh Hamilton and Howie Kendrick for his 20th save.

Santiago, trying for his first win of 2014, allowed only two hits through five innings before fading in the sixth. He was charged with four runs and five hits in 5 1-3 innings.

“Hector, really, for five innings was really on top of things,” Scioscia said. “Things unraveled a bit but I still think Hector pitched a really strong ballgame.”

Atlanta’s Mike Minor matched his career high by allowing 11 hits for the second straight game. He gave up three runs in five innings.

With one out in the sixth, B.J. Upton walked and moved to third on Freddie Freeman’s single to center. Gattis extended his hitting streak to 15 games with a run-scoring single to right field. Freeman scored on Justin Upton’s infield hit that David Freese couldn’t handle at third base.

Chris Johnson’s single off Kevin Jepsen loaded the bases to set up La Stella’s double to right-center. Johnson was thrown out at the plate.

Aybar hit his fifth homer leading off the second. He reached on a fielder’s choice grounder in the third before being removed from the game in the bottom of the inning. John McDonald took over at shortstop.

Trout raced in to make a tumbling catch of B.J. Upton’s sinking liner to end the third inning.

Heyward took a hit away from Trout with a similar catch in the fourth. Heyward again denied Trout of a hit in the sixth. Sprinting toward the wall, Heyward jumped and reached up at the warning track to catch a long fly ball before running into the wall.

“If Jason doesn’t make those plays, we might lose the game,” Gonzalez said.

Heyward hit his eighth homer off Cam Bedrosian. B.J. Upton singled, stole second and scored from third on Bedrosian’s wild pitch.

NOTES: The Angels placed RHP Fernando Salas on the 15-day DL with shoulder inflammation. Salas pitched two scoreless innings to earn the win in Saturday night’s 11-6 victory over the Braves in 13 innings. RHP Dane De La Rosa was recalled from Triple-A Salt Lake and pitched the eighth. … Trout had seven hits, including two homers, and drove in five runs in the three-game series. … The Braves signed OF Braxton Davidson, the team’s first-round pick from Arden, North Carolina. … The Braves open a three-game home series against Philadelphia on Monday night when RHP Julio Teheran faces Phillies LHP Cole Hamels. The Angels open a four-game series at Cleveland with RHP Jered Weaver matched against Indians RHP Trevor Bauer.

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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