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Teheran earns 10th win as Braves top Padres 5-3

By WTOP Staff

CHARLES ODUM
AP Sports Writer

ATLANTA (AP) — Julio Teheran enjoyed his unusual chance to shine as a hitter when he wasn’t as sharp as normal on the mound.

Teheran’s squeeze bunt gave Atlanta the lead and the Braves took advantage of Odrisamer Despaigne’s control problems to beat the San Diego Padres 5-3 on Saturday night.

Teheran said the pitchers work on bunting every day, but having the pressure of having to put the ball in play as a runner took off from third base was a new challenge.

“I haven’t done it in a game,” Teheran said.

The bunt drove in Chris Johnson for a 3-2 lead in Atlanta’s four-run fourth inning.

Freddie Freeman had three hits and an RBI, Tommy La Stella also had three hits and Johnson drove in two runs. The Braves moved to within 1 1/2 games of NL East-leading Washington, which lost 1-0 to Cincinnati.

Entering the game, Teheran (10-6) had a 1.23 ERA in 10 home starts. He wasn’t as dominant against the Padres as he allowed three runs on nine hits in six innings.

Teheran had to fight through some long innings, but he didn’t walk a batter while striking out five to become the first Braves pitcher to reach 10 wins.

Only 20 of Teheran’s 92 pitches were balls, setting up a contrast to Despaigne (2-2), who had five walks.

Despaigne also was wild on a crucial throw to third base for an error in Atlanta’s big fourth inning. The Cuban right-hander lasted only 3 2-3 innings and allowed five runs — two earned — and six hits.

Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said Despaigne, who has an unusually large assortment of pitches and speeds, required an adjustment for Atlanta’s hitters.

“This guy looks like he pitches a wiffle ball game,” Gonzalez said. “He throws every pitch different angles and sometimes it’s 93 (mph) and sometimes it’s 64 miles per hour curve balls. But we were patient.”

Seth Smith had three hits and Yasmani Grandal had a two-run double for the Padres.

Craig Kimbrel struck out the side in the ninth for his 31st save.

Despaigne made his first start since throwing 7 2-3 no-hit innings before allowing a run in a no-decision against the Mets on July 20.

“He was trying to be a little too fine, kind of hitting the corners instead of making pitches,” Grandal, the Padres’ catcher, said of Despaigne.

“The curve ball wasn’t that sharp tonight. … His cutter he usually throws for a strike a lot. He was throwing it for balls. And again you go back to trying to be too perfect on that outside corner. Other than that I think he pitched good, you know?”

Despaigne walked three batters in the fourth and hurt himself with a high throw to third base for an error when trying for a force play on Johnson.

San Diego third baseman Chris Nelson fell over the sliding Johnson after reaching for the high throw. Johnson then scored on Teheran’s bunt.

Johnson and Freeman had run-scoring singles in the inning.

The Padres took a 2-1 lead off Teheran in the fourth. Grandal’s double to center field drove in Yangervis Solarte and Smith, who reached on singles. Solarte had a run-scoring single in the fifth.

Atlanta scored one run in the second when Jason Heyward walked, moved to third on a double by Evan Gattis and scored on Johnson’s groundout to third base.

Padres first baseman Yonder Alonso had one hit in his return from the 15-day disabled list. Alonso had been out since June 17 with right wrist tendinitis.

Gonzalez had an unsuccessful challenge of a foul call on Freeman’s liner down the left-field line in the fourth. Freeman had a run-scoring single up the middle after the ruling that the play stood.

The Padres committed three errors.

NOTES: The Braves will show Sunday’s Hall of Fame induction ceremony on the Turner Field video board. Gates will open at 1 p.m. for the 5:05 p.m. game, and fans with tickets to the game can watch the ceremony. Former Braves pitchers Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux, former manager Bobby Cox and former player and manager Joe Torre are among the inductees. … Padres OF Jake Goebbert was optioned to Triple-A El Paso. … Braves 2B Phil Gosselin reached on an error in the sixth and was picked off base following his recall from Triple-A Gwinnett. IF Tyler Pastornicky was optioned to Gwinnett. … The series continues Sunday when Atlanta’s Mike Minor faces San Diego’s Eric Stults in a matchup of left-handers.

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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