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Angels beat Red Sox 4-2 to extend AL West lead

By WTOP Staff

KEN POWTAK
Associated Press

BOSTON (AP) — Kevin Jepsen hadn’t earned a save in nearly two years. He certainly deserved this one, after a clutch strikeout of Boston bopper David Ortiz.

Mike Trout and Albert Pujols hit consecutive RBI doubles, and the Los Angeles Angels extended their AL West lead with a 4-2 victory over the Red Sox on Monday night.

With two runners on and none out in the ninth, Jepsen threw a well-executed changeup to Ortiz that moved off the plate, getting Big Papi to swing and miss wildly.

“I wanted to give him a pitch he thinks he can drive, but it fades out of the zone. In that situation, I’m going for the strikeout,” Jepsen said. “Watching him, I’ve seen him come up a ton of times in that situation and tie it up.”

Jepsen then got Yoenis Cespedes to bounce into a run-scoring fielder’s choice before Mike Napoli lined to center, closing out his first save since Sept. 16, 2012.

It was the fifth win in six games for the Angels, who moved a half-game ahead of idle Oakland.

“That’s a great pitch,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. “It’s a tough situation. David can beat you at any part of this ballpark on a variety of pitches and you’ve got to make your pitches there.”

Ortiz reached base four times with a double, a single and two walks for the Red Sox, who have lost three of four after winning four straight.

Boston was 1 for 14 with runners in scoring position and stranded 12 overall.

Angels starter C.J. Wilson (10-8) labored through 5 1-3 innings, giving up one run and five hits with five walks and five strikeouts.

Brandon Workman (1-7) lost his sixth straight start, giving up two runs and six hits in seven innings. He was skipped for a couple of turns to rest his arm.

“My velocity was better,” Workman said. “I had a chance to work on some things mechanically. I felt good tonight. I felt like I got into a nice rhythm early and was able to carry that through.”

The Angles broke ahead 2-0 on two-out doubles by Trout and Pujols in the third after Kole Calhoun walked.

Brock Holt extended his hitting streak to 12 games with an RBI single, cutting it to 2-1 in the fourth.

Los Angeles added two runs in the eighth when reliever Junichi Tazawa bobbled a grounder and made a wild throw with the bases loaded. He was charged with two errors on the play.

“Unfortunately, what looked like a potential inning-ending double play turned into a couple of runs for them,” Boston manager John Farrell said.

The Red Sox had the bases loaded with one out in the sixth, but Dustin Pedroia bounced into a double play against reliever Mike Morin.

NICE GRAB

The most important catch of the game might have been by Scioscia. With the entire infield shifted to the right for Ortiz, Wilson had to run hard toward the Angels dugout for a short foul pop. The ball bounced in front of a hard-charging Wilson, who hopped down the dugout steps and was caught by Scioscia, with hitting coach Don Baylor assisting. “I saw the ball, he kept coming and I said, ‘No,'” Scioscia said. “Luckily, we caught him. We don’t need anybody rolling another ankle doing something like that.”

CHANGE THAT TUNE

A day after his mental gaffe cost the Red Sox in a loss to Houston, SS Xander Bogaerts changed his walk-up music to “Rude” by Magic!. He went 0 for 4, stranding two runners.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Scioscia said INF Grant Green, on the 15-day disabled list with a strained lower back, is “close to playing in games.” He’ll likely need a few rehab starts before returning.

Red Sox: Pedroia was back in the lineup after missing Sunday’s game because he was sick. OF-1B Allen Craig (sprained left foot) started a rehab assignment with Triple-A Pawtucket. C David Ross (plantar fasciitis) is expected to be activated Tuesday.

UP NEXT

RHP Jered Weaver (13-7, 3.66 ERA) goes for the Angels in the second game of the series Tuesday. He took the loss against Boston on Aug. 8, giving up four runs in six innings.

RHP Allen Webster (3-1, 4.79) faces the Angels for the second time in three starts. He earned the win against Weaver recently, holding Los Angeles to two runs in 6 2-3 innings.

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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