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Dodgers beat Cubs 5-2 on Ramirez’s 3-run HR

By WTOP Staff

JOE RESNICK
Associated Press

LOS ANGELES (AP) — On a night when the Dodgers used home run threats Adrian Gonzalez, Andre Ethier and Yasiel Puig as pinch-hitters late in the game, Hanley Ramirez came through at the end.

Ramirez hit his first career game-ending home run, a three-run shot in the 12th inning to lift Los Angeles to a 5-2 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Saturday night.

Dee Gordon hit a two-out single against Blake Parker (1-1), stole his major league-leading 51st base and came home when Ramirez drove a 1-0 pitch into the Dodgers’ bullpen in left field for his 12th homer after a full-count walk to Justin Turner.

“I was watching the way they were pitching to J.T., and it didn’t look like they wanted to pitch to him. They wanted me,” Ramirez said. “So I told myself to just slow my swing down because I had to come through. He made a mistake up and left something over plate, and I made a good swing. That’s what we’re here for — to win games.”

Jamey Wright (4-2) allowed two hits over two innings to get the victory and help the Dodgers increase their NL West lead over San Francisco to 3 1-2 games.

Junior Lake pushed a bunt single past the right of the mound with one out in the Cubs’ seventh and came all the way around on a double to right-center by Arismendy Alcantara, tying the score 2-all. It was the third hit of the game for the switch-hitting rookie. Teammate Starlin Castro also had three hits, including an RBI single in the first.

Matt Kemp gave the NL West-leading Dodgers a 2-1 lead in the fourth against left-hander Tsuyoshi Wada with a drive into the pavilion seats in left-center after a leadoff walk to Ramirez.

It was the 12th homer this season and fourth in five games for the two-time All-Star, who has four homers and 12 RBIs in 11 games since manager Don Mattingly shifted him from left field to right and Puig from right to center.

Hyun-Jin Ryu allowed two runs and nine hits through seven innings and struck out six.

Wada allowed two runs and six hits over 5 2-3 innings and struck out six in his fourth major league start. The Dodgers are 12-5 in games started by opponents’ rookies, including Friday’s 8-2 loss to Kyle Hendricks.

“Coming over from Japan, he had a lot of experience against good players over there, too. And even though this is the big leagues, he looked good,” Dodgers catcher Drew Butera said. “He had a sneaky fastball. I didn’t see any off-speed pitches from him, but from the side, it looked like it had good deception.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cubs: Right-hander Kyuji Fujikawa, who has yet to pitch for Chicago this season after undergoing Tommy John surgery, is scheduled to throw an inning for Triple-A Iowa on Monday. The club has yet to decide whether he will be reinstated from the 60-day disabled list on Tuesday.

Dodgers: Lefty Paul Maholm’s first season with the Dodgers ended Saturday when he was placed on the 15-day disabled list because of a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. The 10-year veteran was injured during the seventh inning of Friday’s game while covering first base on a grounder behind the bag by Alcantata.

ON DECK

Cubs: Right-hander Edwin Jackson (5-11, 5.79 ERA) is 0-4 with a 7.39 ERA in seven starts since beating Pittsburgh June 20 at Wrigley Field.

Dodgers: Right-hander Josh Beckett (6-5, 2.74 ERA) looks for his first victory at Dodger Stadium since May 13, when he beat Miami 7-1 for his first win of 2014. He is 3-4 with a 3.05 ERA in in 10 starts since his no-hitter on May 25 at Philadelphia, and hasn’t pitched more than five innings in any of his last four outings.

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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