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Peavy arrives during Giants’ 5-0 loss to Dodgers

By WTOP Staff

RICK EYMER
Associated Press

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Jake Peavey couldn’t help the San Francisco Giants avoid a loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday night. His new teammates are hoping it’s not too late for Peavy to help turn things around the rest of the year.

Gregor Blanco and Michael Morse managed the only two hits off Clayton Kershaw, who has made a habit of shutting down the Giants, and San Francisco lost 5-0 to Los Angeles.

Ryan Vogelsong (5-8) retired the first 11 batters before Hunter Pence lost Gonzalez’s double in the sun with two outs in the fourth. Hanley Ramirez followed with an RBI single.

The Giants have been shut out in four of Vogelsong’s last five starts and the right-hander has received an average of two runs per game of support at home, the second-lowest in the NL. Vogelsong lost his fifth straight decision, matching his longest such streak since 2011.

“I stopped making good pitches,” Vogelsong said. “I can’t out a finger on it other than I missed some spots and they got some hits.”

Joaquin Arias was the lone Giants hitter to reach as far as second base against Kershaw and he reached on a fielding error.

Peavy, acquired from the Boston Red Sox earlier in the day, has dominated the Dodgers the way Kershaw has pitched against the Giants. He’s 14-2 against Los Angeles and his 2.21 ERA is the lowest against the Dodgers of any major league starter.

The Giants are sending him to the mound in Sunday’s series finale hoping to end a three-game skid.

“I’m excited to get here and pitch,” Peavy said. “That’s what I know. There’s not a whole lot of time to think about things. I’ll get here early and do some cramming.”

Peavy credits Giants manager Bruce Bochy for helping turn him into a major league pitcher. He was drafted in the 15th round by the San Diego Padres in 1999 and played under Bochy through the 2006 season.

“Boch is my guy. He took care of me,” Peavy said. “He taught me how to be a professional and how to get my work done.”

He’s joining a team that has faltered at home the past month. The Giants have lost 18 of their last 24 home games and have won one of their last eight series at home.

“We’ve been running into some pretty good pitching,” Bochy said. “Kershaw is one of the best. When you’re going against a guy like that, you have to find a way to scratch and claw to score a run.”

Kershaw (12-2) walked one and struck out seven in his ninth career shutout and second this season. It was also his fourth complete game of the year and 15th of his career. The left-hander improved to 12-6 with a 1.40 ERA in 23 career games against the Giants, including 7-2 with a 0.69 ERA at AT&T Park.

NOTES: Giants C Hector Sanchez was placed on the 7-day DL with a mild concussion. C Andrew Susac was recalled from Triple-A Fresno and made his major league debut as a defensive replacement in the eighth inning. … Peavey, who arrived at the park during the sixth after being acquired from Boston, is 8-5 in San Francisco.

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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