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Astros avoid sweep with 6-1 win over Braves

By WTOP Staff

KRISTIE RIEKEN
AP Sports Writer

HOUSTON (AP) — Atlanta starter Mike Minor was pitching well Thursday before one big mistake broke open a close game in a 6-1 loss to the Houston Astros.

The Braves trailed by one run in the fifth inning when Matt Dominguez snapped an 0-for-23 skid with a three-run homer to left-center field off Minor (2-5) to push the lead to 5-1.

“I’d like to have one pitch back really,” manager Fredi Gonzalez said about the home run ball to Dominguez. “You look back on in the course of the game when you’re dissecting a little bit and you go: ‘Wait a second.’ We keep it within one run and it’s a different story. It became a four-run game there and it was an 0-2 pitch which makes it even tougher.”

Houston starter Jarred Cosart (8-5) allowed six hits and a run in seven innings for his fourth straight victory.

“He’s got some plus pitches that he was mixing up and we couldn’t solve him,” Justin Upton said.

George Springer’s solo homer off Juan Jaime in the seventh to pushed the lead to 6-1. He has 15 homers this season, the most by a rookie in franchise history before the All-Star Break. Lance Berkman had the previous mark with 12 in 2000.

Minor gave up seven hits and five runs in six innings to remain winless since May 19.

“I was missing a lot of balls middle,” Minor said. “I was getting lucky. They barreled a couple balls that were popped up so I don’t know if it was a matter of time because I felt like I was battling pretty good.”

Jon Singleton had two hits and an RBI and Jose Altuve added a pair of hits and swiped two bases for the Astros, who had managed just four runs combined and had been shut out twice in a four-game losing streak. Altuve leads the American League with 107 hits and 30 steals.

Upton had two hits on Thursday and hit .364 with two homers and four RBIs in the series and B.J. Upton had a hit and scored Atlanta’s only run.

“Things just didn’t go our way,” Justin Upton said. “For the most part we tried to play a little small ball with our run-scoring struggles and we’ve done a pretty good job of it. (Thursday) it didn’t work out for us and we didn’t get the big ball either.”

The Braves had trouble stringing together hits against Cosart and he was helped by the Astros turning a pair of double plays. Evan Gattis doubled to start the seventh before Jason Heyward drew a walk, but Cosart retired the next three batters to end the threat.

B.J. Upton hit a leadoff single before stealing second and taking third on an error on the throw by Jason Castro. The Braves went up 1-0 when he scored on a sacrifice fly by Tony La Stella.

Altuve singled and a double by Singleton, which bounced off the wall in left field, sent him home to tie it at 1-1 in the first.

Minor plunked Dominguez to start Houston’s fourth before a double by Castro. The Astros took a 2-1 lead when Castro scored on a groundout by Jesus Guzman.

NOTES: Atlanta 1B Freddie Freeman was back in the lineup after leaving Wednesday night’s game in the eighth inning after being hit by a pitch on the right elbow. … Braves RHP Gavin Floyd had season-ending surgery on his broken right elbow Wednesday, the team said. The procedure was performed in New York by Dr. David Altchek, who also performed Tommy John surgery on Floyd’s pitching elbow in May 2013. … The Astros opened their gates 30 minutes early Thursday to allow fans to watch the World Cup match between the United States and Germany on the stadium’s big screens. … Houston selected the contract of RHP Jose Veras from Triple-A Oklahoma City and outrighted RHP Kyle Farnsworth before the game and he has elected free agency. Veras struck out Justin Upton for the last out of the game.

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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