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Stanton homers, drives in 4, Marlins beat D-backs

By WTOP Staff

MIAMI (AP) — The numbers are adding up for Giancarlo Stanton. So are the wins for the Miami Marlins.

Stanton hit his major league-leading 32nd homer and drove in four runs Sunday, powering the Marlins past the Arizona Diamondbacks 10-3.

Stanton has a career-high 88 RBIs, one more than he had in 2011. He went 7 for 14 with four walks and six RBIs in the four-game series against Arizona.

“I think ultimately his numbers are going to speak for him when you talk about what he means to our ballclub and the intimidation factor that he brings to other ballclubs,” Marlins manager Mike Redmond said. “This guy just continues to get big hits.”

The Marlins have won five of seven and evened their record at 62-62, equaling their victory total from all of last year.

“It’s different coming to the field, it’s not a morgue in here every time you walk in and the black drapes and everything is drooping,” Stanton said.

Garrett Jones also homered for the Marlins. Marcell Ozuna and Jarrod Saltalamacchia each drove in two runs and Christian Yelich had three hits.

Stanton hit a three-run home run in the first inning, surpassing Hanley Ramirez for second place on the club’s all-time list with 149 career homers. He also boosted his RBI total with a single in the seventh.

“That’s good for me, I haven’t broke 100 yet here,” Stanton said. “It’s helping us win, that’s more than any single accolade that I can have.”

Tom Koehler (9-9) pitched six innings, allowing two runs.

Stanton hit a three-run homer and Jones also connected in the first against Josh Collmenter (8-7).

“I don’t how many times (Stanton) has hit a homer for me in the first inning, but I love it,” Koehler said.

Arizona’s Ender Inciarte extended his hitting streak to 17 games with a bunt single in the sixth.

“It was a bad thing that we couldn’t keep them close,” Inciarte said. “We’ve got to be able to give ourselves a chance to in the game.”

Mark Trumbo and Jake Lamb hit RBI singles in the sixth that pulled Arizona within 5-2.

The Marlins broke open the game by scoring five times in the seventh. Stanton hit an RBI single, Ozuna had a two-run double and Saltalamacchia singled home two runs. Diamondbacks reliever Randall Delgado was charged with five runs and got just one batter out.

“You get down five runs and you chip away,” Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson said. “We got two back and were at least in the picture there, but you have to hold them and we were unable to do that.”

This was Miami’s highest-scoring game since an 11-6 win at Tampa Bay on June 5.

“We’ve all been waiting for one of those and give ourselves a real cushion so we don’t have to pitch so perfect,” Redmond said.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Diamondbacks: RHP Daniel Hudson (Tommy John surgery) threw one scoreless inning on Saturday night in the Arizona League, allowing one hit and striking out one.

UP NEXT

Diamondbacks: Arizona travels to Washington for a four-game series beginning on Monday night. LHP Vidal Nuno (0-3, 3.92) starts against Nationals RHP Jordan Zimmermann (8-5, 2.92).

Marlins: Off Monday, Miami will start RHP Jarred Cosart (1-1, 2.92) at home Tuesday night against Texas RHP Miles Mikolas (1-5, 7.71) to begin a two-game set.

FAST START

Stanton has hit 11 of his 32 home runs this season in the first inning, which is the second-highest total of first-inning homers in a season by a Marlins player. Gary Sheffield hit 14 in 1996.

STREAKING

Inciarte’s hitting string is the longest active streak in the majors and the longest ever by a Diamondbacks rookie. He is hitting .320 (24 for 75) during that stretch.

“He’s a smart player and he utilizes his tools very well,” Gibson said. “He plays hard.”

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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