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Angels beat Twins 6-4 to finish perfect homestand

By WTOP Staff

GREG BEACHAM
AP Sports Writer

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Albert Pujols is thrilled to have a reason to forget about his first two disappointing seasons with the Los Angeles Angels. His club is on a roll this summer, and he’s hoping the ride extends all the way to October.

Pujols and Mike Trout drove in two runs apiece, Jered Weaver pitched seven strong innings, and the Angels completed a perfect homestand with a 6-4 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Thursday.

Pujols had three hits and Josh Hamilton drove in a run to help the Angels win their season-best sixth straight and move a season-high 11 games over .500 (44-33).

“We’ve been playing really good the past couple of weeks,” Pujols said. “You just need to take advantage of a stretch. It doesn’t matter where you win as long as you get those wins. We’re playing great at home, but we’ll take them in any stadium.”

Trout had two doubles, including a two-run drive down the left-field line in the seventh, during the Angels’ 15th win in their last 17 games in Anaheim, where they have the majors’ best home record. Los Angeles swept Texas and Minnesota to complete its first unbeaten homestand with at least six games since May 2004.

“We’re starting to do some of the things we can do on the offensive side, and we’ve got to keep it rolling,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. “Albert, when he’s swinging it well, he’s going to square balls up like that. He got some big hits and got us going.”

Weaver (8-6) yielded eight hits — all singles — and struck out six in another dominant start against the Twins. The right-hander, who threw a no-hitter against Minnesota in 2012, has given up one run in 24 innings while striking out 24 in his last three home meetings with the Twins.

Weaver improved to 7-0 in eight career starts against Minnesota, striking out the side on 12 pitches in the first inning and rarely struggling until the sixth. He snapped a three-start winless streak with plenty of offense from his teammates, who scored 35 runs on the homestand.

“Offensively, we didn’t do too much,” Minnesota manager Ron Gardenhire said. “Weaver was like we’ve seen him before. In this ballpark, we all know it’s tough to see the ball in day games, and he made it tough on us.

After Minnesota loaded the bases against Ernesto Frieri in the ninth, Mauer cleared them with a two-strike double off Joe Smith, who then struck out Kendrys Morales for his seventh save.

Joe Mauer hit a three-run double with two outs in the ninth for the Twins, who followed up a four-game sweep of the White Sox by getting swept in Anaheim. Mauer and Chris Parmelee had three hits apiece, but Minnesota yielded 32 hits in the three-game series.

“They’ve got some good hitters,” Gardenhire said of the Angels. “Those big boys come up in big situations, and they can do some things.”

Ricky Nolasco (4-6) yielded 11 hits and six runs while pitching into the seventh inning of his fourth straight winless start.

Pujols improved to 12 for 22 in his career against Nolasco on an eventful day for the Angels’ slow-moving $240 million man.

He singled home Kole Calhoun in the first inning and stole second when Minnesota didn’t hold him on the bag. Pujols then scored when Pedro Florimon lost Erick Aybar’s popup in the sun behind third base.

Florimon is filling in for rookie shortstop Danny Santana, who injured his left knee while running out a double in Wednesday’s loss. An MRI exam Thursday revealed a bone bruise in Santana’s knee, but the Twins don’t know how long he’ll be out.

The Angels added two more runs in the third on back-to-back doubles by Trout and Pujols, followed by Hamilton’s RBI single.

NOTES: Pujols’ third-inning double was the 541st of his career, tying the three-time NL MVP with Rogers Hornsby for 30th on baseball’s career list. … Angels 2B Howie Kendrick has a 10-game hitting streak. … Minnesota recalled INF Jorge Polanco from Single-A Fort Myers. The 20-year-old prospect joined the Twins in time for Thursday’s game and made his major league debut as a pinch-hitter in the ninth inning, drawing a four-pitch walk from Frieri.

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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