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Arenado homers, Rockies beat Pirates 8-1

By WTOP Staff

MICHAEL KELLY
Associated Press

DENVER (AP) — The Pittsburgh Pirates flew into Colorado on a roll. Now they just want to leave with a win.

Nolan Arenado bounced back from a benching with three hits, including a home run, and the Colorado Rockies beat the Pirates 8-1 on Saturday night.

The Pirates had won six of eight before getting to Coors Field, but they have struggled against the Rockies. They have managed just two runs in the first two games and allowed 16.

“They’ve pitched it better than us. They’ve hit it better than us. They’ve fielded it better than us the last two nights,” Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said.

Pittsburgh is in danger of being swept in Colorado for the second straight season a week after they did that to the Rockies at PNC Park. Colorado’s starters were sharp in that series before the Pirates rallied against the bullpen each game.

This weekend, the Rockies have gotten strong outings from the entire staff.

“We saw back-to-back guys last week and they were both very effective in (Brett) Anderson and (Tyler) Matzek tonight,” Hurdle said. “Again, good pitching beats good hitting.”

Matzek pitched three-hit ball over seven scoreless innings. Drew Stubbs and Corey Dickerson also homered for the Rockies, who have won three straight.

Ike Davis denied Colorado its first shutout at Coors Field this season with a one-out homer in the ninth.

It was a bounce-back performance for Arenado, who was removed from Friday’s game when he didn’t hustle down the line on a grounder to the pitcher in the fourth inning.

Arenado met with manager Walt Weiss before Saturday’s game and said he agreed with the decision.

The 2013 Gold Glove winner took out any frustration he might have had on Pirates starter Jeff Locke. Arenado delivered RBI singles in the third and fifth innings and then hit a solo home run in the seventh, his eighth of the year.

Dickerson added a two-out solo homer to chase Locke (2-2).

“I was just not 100 percent sharp,” he said. “It’s a good hitting team. It just goes to show if they could pitch like they hit here, they wouldn’t be 15 1-2 back, that’s for sure.”

That was more than enough for Matzek (2-4), who continued a recent string of strong starts for Colorado. The Rockies’ rotation had allowed 13 earned runs in its last 44 innings entering Saturday, and Matzek added to that with seven shutout innings to get his first win since his major league debut against Atlanta on June 11.

Stubbs made it 2-0 with a leadoff homer in the fourth, his 11th, but rolled his right foot on the swing and left the game in the fifth.

Colorado added two more runs in the fifth on Arenado’s second run-scoring single and Dickerson’s bases-loaded groundout.

“There were some good sequences. Mistakes were made over the plate,” Hurdle said of Locke. “They didn’t miss.”

Matzek made it hold up with the strongest start of his brief career. He pitched around a leadoff double in the fourth, and a double play got him out of a two-on, one-out jam in the seventh.

Josh Rutledge added a two-run single in the eighth — his third hit of the night — to make it 8-0.

Locke allowed six runs and 10 hits, and struck out six in 6 2-3 innings.

NOTES: Hurdle said RHP Gerrit Cole (right lat strain), who is scheduled to make his first rehab start Monday for Triple-A Indianapolis and throw about 80 pitches, will make a second rehab start to get his pitch count up to 100. … Pittsburgh 3B Pedro Alvarez (sore left knee) wasn’t in the starting lineup for the fourth straight game. … Pirates C Russell Martin drew two walks. It was his second straight multi-walk 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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