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Ross, Almonte lead Padres to 4-1 win over Brewers

By WTOP Staff

JAY PARIS
Associated Press

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Milwaukee’s Jimmy Nelson didn’t pitch badly. It just wasn’t good enough to beat the Padres.

The Brewers’ five-game road winning streak was snapped as they fell to San Diego, 4-1 on Tuesday night.

“I felt there were a few pitches I missed over the plate,” Nelson said. “But they’re big league hitters and they did what they’re supposed to do with it.”

Nelson (2-5) was also derailed by two things in losing his third straight decision: little offensive support and a leaky defensive.

Tyson Ross pitched 6 1-3 strong innings, Abraham Almonte homered and drove in two runs for the Padres.

Ross (12-12), San Diego’s lone All-Star, extended his franchise record with his 13th consecutive quality start. He gave up one run and four hits with six strikeouts and two walks.

Joaquin Benoit pitched the ninth for his ninth save in 10 chances.

Nelson worked five innings for Milwaukee and allowed four runs — two earned — on five hits, with a career-high seven strikeouts in losing his third straight decision.

Despite falling for the fourth time in six games, Milwaukee maintained its 1 1/2-game lead over St. Louis in the NL Central as the Cardinals lost 5-2 to Pittsburgh.

The Brewers pulled to 4-1 in the fourth, thanks to doubles by Jonathan Lucroy and Scooter Gennett. Gennett advanced to third after Davis’ two-out walk, but Davis was thrown out by Renee Rivera when trying to reach second on a pitch in the dirt.

The Padres scored three times in the third, as the Brewers’ defense let Nelson down.

The inning’s one earned run came on Almonte’s single which drove in Ross, after he led off with a double. Seth Smith followed with a potential double-play grounder to Gennett, but his relay to Jean Segura was mishandled for an error. Yasmani Grandal’s single drove in Almonte and Smith scored on Jedd Gyorko’s groundout for a 4-0 lead.

“If I execute a few pitches there, we’re out of it with minimal damage,” Nelson said. “That’s a job as a starter, to minimize the damage and I have to do a better job of it next time.”

Ross is 6-6 with a 1.96 ERA during his quality start streak, which dates back to June 21. He has 86 strikeouts and 24 walks in that stretch.

“When his slider is down in the zone, you’re not going to be able to hit it,” Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said. “The trouble is when it is down, you think it’s a fastball and you don’t see the spin. By the time you swing it’s in the dirt.”

Ross was lifted after walking Gennett with one out in the seventh. Reliever Nick Vincent came in and got Davis to hit into a double play.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Padres: SS Everth Cabrera (strained left hamstring) continues to do baseball drills but he’s not expected to play for another week.

Brewers: RHP Matt Garza, on the disabled list with a strained left oblique, threw a bullpen session and depending on how he feels on Wednesday, among the possibilities is him joining the rotation.

UP NEXT

Brewers: RHP Yovani Gallardo (8-7, 3.38 ERA), who has made 17 quality starts this season, needs five strikeouts to eclipse Ben Sheets (1,206) as the franchise’s all-time leader.

Padres: RHP Odrisamer Despaigne (3-5, 3.44) will make his 11th career start and sixth at Petco Park. Despaigne has lost his last two decisions.

ALL-STAR BUD

Commissioner of Baseball Bud Selig visited Petco Park and the Padres christened the Selig Hall of Fame Plaza in his honor. Selig, who is retiring after the season, said San Diego is strong candidate to get a future All-Star Game, something that has never been held at Petco Park.

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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