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Giants bats go cold again in 5-0 loss to A’s

By WTOP Staff

ANTONIO GONZALEZ
AP Sports Writer

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — The slumping San Francisco Giants are struggling to hit against just about everybody right now. The major league-leading Oakland Athletics are shutting down opponents at the plate on a regular basis.

That combination added up to a predictable one-sided affair in the Bay Bridge Series opener Monday night, with the Giants getting just five hits in a 5-0 loss to the A’s.

“We have to get back to the team we were when everybody did something to help us win,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. “We have guys cold with the bats. We have to get that confidence back, the belief it’s going to happen. We need to get our spark plugs clean and get them back ready to go.”

Oakland did everything the Giants didn’t.

Jesse Chavez matched a career high with nine strikeouts in six innings, and three A’s relievers finished.

Alberto Callaspo hit a two-run double, and three others drove in a run to power the A’s in front of an announced sellout crowd of 36,067 festive fans at the Coliseum. The worn-down stadium had a colorful sprinkling of green and gold from Oakland revelers mixed with the orange and black of San Francisco supporters — many of whom left before the final out.

Chavez (7-5) allowed four hits and two walks to help extend the A’s record to a major league-best 56-33. Fernando Abad, Dan Otero and Ryan Cook shut down San Francisco the final three innings.

Ryan Vogelsong (5-6) lost his third straight start for the Giants. The right-hander gave up five hits and three runs in 5 1-3 innings. He struck out four and walked.

“It’s a good lineup. You have to make your pitch. I felt like I made some good pitches, just not enough good ones,” Vogelsong said.

The banged-up Giants had lost 18 of 23 to fall out of first place in the NL West — where they once held a 9½-game lead over the Dodgers — but showed signs of coming out of their slump by winning two straight at San Diego over the weekend.

Instead, the two-time defending AL West champion A’s put together the kind of all-around effort they have had most of the season.

Oakland started its scoring surge after home plate umpire Paul Nauert ruled Craig Gentry was hit by a pitch on his hand leading off the fifth. Bochy challenged the play, which was upheld after a video review.

Gentry stole second, advanced to third on Coco Crisp’s bunt single and scored on John Jaso’s groundout for the A’s first run.

Josh Donaldson was also hit by a pitch by Vogelsong on his left hand leading off the sixth. Nauert originally called it a strike before seeing Donaldson’s hand swell.

Then Nauert asked first base umpire Angel Hernandez if Donaldson, who said his hand was just sore afterward, swung at the pitch. Hernandez signaled no, and Bochy came out and had a heated conversation with Nauert after the call, wondering how it could be reversed.

“Then it got ugly,” Bochy said.

Callaspo came through later in the inning with a two-run double off Juan Gutierrez to extend Oakland’s lead to 3-0. Brandon Moss and Donaldson each drove in a run off Gutierrez in the seventh after Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford committed two throwing errors.

The teams will play in Oakland again Tuesday night before the series shifts to San Francisco for the final two games.

NOTES: Giants 3B Pablo Sandoval, who left Saturday’s game because of a bruised left elbow after he was hit while swinging at a pitch, sat out for the second straight game. … Giants 2B Marco Scutaro (back) went 1 for 3 with an RBI single in his first rehab assignment for Triple-A Fresno on Monday night at Sacramento. … Giants CF Angel Pagan was sent to Arizona to resume his rehabilitation from a nagging back injury. … Giants LHP Madison Bumgarner (9-6, 3.09 ERA) takes the mound opposite Oakland’s Sonny Gray (8-3, 3.08) on Tuesday.

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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