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Late-blooming Lane impresses in 1st pitching start

By WTOP Staff

PAUL NEWBERRY
AP Sports Writer

ATLANTA (AP) — At an age when most players are thinking retirement, Jason Lane is trying to get started on a new career.

He might be on to something.

The 37-year-old former outfielder threw six scoreless innings in his first big league start as a pitcher before surrendering a homer to Evan Gattis that carried the Atlanta Braves to a 2-0 victory over the San Diego Padres on Monday.

“The Padres gave me this opportunity,” said Lane, who allowed six hits, struck out two and didn’t walk anyone before he was lifted with no outs in the seventh. “Beyond that, I’m not sure what the situation will be. But I’ll be ready to go.”

Ervin Santana (10-6) pitched five-hit ball over eight innings, matching his career high with 11 strikeouts. Relying heavily on his slider, the right-hander allowed only runner past first base.

“He has that in him,” Padres manager Bud Black said. “When he gets momentum, he’s pretty good.

Craig Kimbrel struck out the side in the ninth for his 32nd save, giving the Braves their third straight win.

Gattis led off the seventh with his first homer since June 18, before he went on the disabled list for nearly three weeks with a bulging disk in his back. He also drove in Atlanta’s other run with a two-out single off Dale Thayer in the eighth.

Lane (0-1) kept the Braves off-balance with a variety of fastballs in the mid-80s. But when he hung an 0-1 slider, Gattis drove it into the left-field seats for his 17th homer of the season.

“It’s a little frustrating to make a mistake like that,” Lane said. “There’s not a lot of room for error. And it cost me.”

A journeyman outfielder with Houston and the Padres from 2002-07, Lane homered in the 2005 World Series for the Astros. He became a full-time pitcher before the 2012 season.

Lane threw 4 1-3 scoreless innings for San Diego in two June relief appearances, and was recalled from Triple-A to start in place of ailing Ian Kennedy.

“To get back to the big leagues as a pitcher, that’s pretty cool stuff,” Atlanta third baseman Chris Johnson said.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Padres: OF Carlos Quentin went on the 15-day disabled list with a sore left knee. INF Jedd Gyorko was activated from the DL after six rehab games at Triple-A El Paso. He had been out since June 4 with plantar fasciitis in his left foot. Kennedy missed his scheduled start because of a left oblique strain.

Braves: RF Jason Heyward left the game after the third inning with lower back soreness. He was replaced by Ryan Doumit and listed as day to day.

ON DECK

Padres: Tyson Ross (9-10) pitches for San Diego on Tuesday when they open a three-game series at home against Lance Lynn (11-7) and the St. Louis Cardinals.

Braves: Atlanta heads to Los Angeles to begin an eight-game road trip that also includes stops in San Diego and Seattle. Aaron Harang (9-6) faces Josh Beckett (6-5) of the Dodgers on Tuesday.

LATE BLOOMER: Lane (37 years, 219 days) became the oldest San Diego starting pitcher to make his big league debut. The mark was previously held by Walter Silva, who was 32 when he started against the Dodgers in 2009. The last pitcher to make his first start after his 37th birthday was St. Louis’ Troy Percival in 2007. Normally a reliever, Percival pitched one inning at the start on the final day of the regular season.

GLOVE WORK: Braves SS Andrelton Simmons made a diving catch on a liner up the middle by Yangervis Solarte in the first, but the Gold Glover was just getting warmed up. In the fifth, Simmons moved to his left to field a grounder by Will Venable. The ball took a bad hop, Simmons instinctively stuck out his right hand to grab it barehanded. He threw out Venable by a step.

___

Follow Paul Newberry on Twitter at www.twitter.com/pnewberry1963

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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