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Kennedy pitches Padres past Rockies 6-1

By WTOP Staff

DENNIS GEORGATOS
Associated Press

DENVER (AP) — With San Diego’s pitching staff on a roll, Ian Kennedy wasn’t about to break the momentum.

Kennedy pitched seven sharp innings, Rene Rivera hit a tiebreaking RBI double in the sixth and the Padres beat the Colorado Rockies 6-1 on Monday night in a game that included a 56-minute weather delay.

Chase Headley added four hits for San Diego, including a two-run triple in the seventh inning to break open a close game.

The outing by Kennedy extended a strong run by Padres starters, who have allowed only six runs over the last seven games to help San Diego win five of seven in that stretch.

“You talk about hitters getting momentum, pitching staffs can get momentum, too,” Padres manager Bud Black said. “Guys are aware of what’s going on and they’re watching other guys pitch and they can gain confidence from that and I think that’s what’s happening.”

Kennedy seemed to gain strength the deeper he got into the game, striking out five of the last six batters he faced before wind, rain and lightning forced the delay heading into the eighth inning. Kevin Quackenbush stepped in for Kennedy when play resumed.

“The last eight, nine games, we’ve thrown really well and you don’t want to be that guy to throw bad,” Kennedy said. “It’s a lot of fun when the other guys on your staff are throwing the ball well. You can feed off that.”

Kennedy (7-9) finished with nine strikeouts, boosting his team-leading total this season to 125. He allowed four hits in seven innings, including Drew Stubbs’ leadoff home run in the fourth.

The Padres improved to 28-4 this season when scoring four or more runs, the second-best mark in baseball behind Washington, which is 39-3 when scoring at least four times.

Slumping Colorado lost for the 18th time in the last 21 games. They’ve gone 1-4 midway through a 10-game homestand.

“We can’t afford to lose series,” said Rockies manager Walt Weiss, whose club lost three of four to the Los Angeles Dodgers to open the homestand. “We’re getting some (injured) guys back but bottom line is we have to start winning some series.”

The Rockies haven’t won a series since completing a sweep at San Francisco on June 15.

With the score tied at 1-1 in the sixth, Tommy Medica hit a one-out double and Rivera followed with a double to left. One out later, Cameron Maybin sent a drive to the warning track in left center that seemed to get caught in swirling winds and dropped just beyond the reach of Corey Dickerson’s glove as the Padres took a 3-1 lead.

San Diego added three runs in the seventh. Kennedy drew a leadoff walk and Chris Denorfia singled to chase Tyler Matzek (1-3). Headley, who changed his batting grip slightly a little over a week ago, greeted Matt Belisle with a triple off the right-field wall, scoring Kennedy and Denorfia. Carlos Quentin’s sacrifice fly put the Padres in front by five runs.

“I feel like it lets me be a little shorter to the ball, gives me a little more leverage,” Headley said of his revised grip.

It does seem to have helped. He had his second four-hit game in July after not having any in the first 62 games of the season.

Matzek was charged with five runs and eight hits in six innings. He walked four and struck out four.

“My first few (innings), my stuff felt good,” Matzek said. “I was just trying to attack the zone. I started falling behind guys. I was picking corners and trying to be fine. First-pitch strike’s the most important thing. You get hitters in hitter’s counts and they’re going to hit the ball.”

NOTES: RHP Tyson Ross, the Padres’ lone All-Star representative, is scheduled to start Sunday against the Los Angeles Dodgers and won’t pitch in next Tuesday’s Midsummer Classic, though he’ll be in attendance for the festivities, according to manager Bud Black. Ross is slated to start Tuesday’s Game 2 against LHP Franklin Morales and the Rockies. … Kennedy’s team-leading 19th start also tied him for the most starts in the majors this season. … Kennedy has worked six or more innings in 15 of his starts this year. … The Rockies have lost seven of their last 11 meetings with San Diego dating to last September. … Stubbs is batting .333 (6 for 18) with two home runs midway through the Rockies’ 10-game homestand. … Rockies batters struck out 13 times in all.

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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