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Lucroy powers Brewers over Dodgers 7-2

By WTOP Staff

JOE RESNICK
Associated Press

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Jonathan Lucroy put the finishing touches on Milwaukee’s resounding three-game sweep of Los Angeles, giving the NL West leaders plenty to think about should they meet again in October.

Lucroy tied a season high with five RBIs, including his first home run in more than three weeks, and the Brewers beat the Dodgers 7-2 on Sunday to maintain their three-game lead over St. Louis in the NL Central.

Lucroy also had five RBIs on June 17 at Arizona, including a pair of homers — one of which was a grand slam.

“It was one of those days where I got a couple of good pitches to hit and was able to hit them hard,” Lucroy said. “(Dan) Haren made a couple of mistakes up in the zone and I was able to take advantage.”

Wily Peralta (15-7) tied Johnny Cueto and Adam Wainwright for the major league lead in victories, allowing five hits in six scoreless innings. The right-hander is 6-1 with a 1.79 ERA in seven starts since giving up a career-worst nine runs in a 9-7 home loss to Philadelphia on July 8.

“I’ve just been pounding the strike zone and working ahead of the hitters. That’s been the difference since that game in Philadelphia,” Peralta said. “I’ve been able to locate my fastball and mix it in with some off-speed stuff.

“They made me work today, but I was able to make the big pitch when I had to and I was able to put zeroes on the board. And it’s always good when you get early run support.”

Carlos Gomez hit his 20th homer, helping the Brewers become the first team to sweep the Dodgers in a series of three or more games this season. They also won a road series for the first time since sweeping a three-game set from Colorado from June 20-22.

The Dodgers’ fourth loss in five games, coupled with San Francisco’s 5-2 win over Philadelphia, reduced their NL West lead over the Giants to 3 1/2 games.

“We played a really good team and they showed why. They have a very deep lineup and good pitching,” Haren said. “I mean, they’re in first place, so it’s not like we got swept by some last-place team.”

Haren (10-10) gave up six runs and five hits over three innings in his shortest outing of the season, following consecutive victories against the Angels and Atlanta Braves.

Two of the runs on Haren’s line were unearned, the result of an error by three-time Gold Glove first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, who dropped a short throw from second baseman Dee Gordon on a grounder by Jean Segura in the second.

Haren, who came in averaging 1.86 walks per nine innings, opened the game by walking Gomez and giving up Lucroy’s 13th homer. He walked Gomez again with two out in the second, and Lucroy cleared the bases with his NL-leading 40th double to give the Brewers a 5-0 lead.

“I definitely was trying to pitch Gomez carefully, and he didn’t swing at anything out of the zone,” Haren said. “The scouting report said he’s a free swinger and he doesn’t walk too much. With a guy with the amount of power he has, you’ve got to be a little careful. And when he gets on first base, he’s a threat to run. So you’ve always got to be conscious of that and be a little quicker to the plate to the next guy.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Brewers: 2B Scooter Gennett’s troublesome right quad has curtailed his ability to run the bases at maximum efficiency — as was the case in the third, when he was held at third on a double to right-center by Khris Davis for the second time in the series.

Dodgers: At this point, only hip surgery will end RHP Josh Beckett’s season prematurely. “I have not heard anything about him getting shut down for the whole year,” manager Don Mattingly said. “We’re going to do everything to have him have the opportunity to pitch again this year. But I don’t think we look at Josh as somebody who would come out of the bullpen for us.”

UP NEXT

Brewers: Mike Fiers (2-1, 1.29 ERA) pitches Tuesday night’s series opener against Toronto. Last Tuesday, he struck out 14 in a 6-2 win over the Cubs, ending a Brewers streak of 286 consecutive games without a double-digit strikeout performance.

Dodgers: Kevin Correia opens the three-game series against San Diego, his second start since he was acquired Aug. 9 from Minnesota and replaced Beckett in the rotation.

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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