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Trout, Shoemaker lead Angels’ 8-2 rout of Marlins

By WTOP Staff

GREG BEACHAM
AP Sports Writer

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — While everybody else in the Los Angeles Angels’ rotation has dealt with serious injuries and wild inconsistency this summer, Matt Shoemaker has been unshakable for two months.

His teammates provided the rookie with far more support than he required in his latest milestone win.

Mike Trout had an RBI double and Albert Pujols added a two-run single during Los Angeles’ five-run fourth inning, and the Angels regained sole possession of the majors’ best record with an 8-2 victory over the Miami Marlins on Tuesday night.

Shoemaker (13-4) yielded two hits over seven scoreless innings as the Angels (78-53) moved one game ahead of the AL West rival Oakland Athletics, who lost to Houston.

Five days after Shoemaker took a no-hitter into the seventh inning at Fenway Park, he walked two and struck out six while holding his seventh straight opponent to fewer than two earned runs.

“It’s confidence from consistent hard work,” the heavily bearded Shoemaker said. “I want to go out there and use every pitch I can, and be aggressive every time.”

Trout slowed his August slump with three hits, and Efren Navarro drove in two runs as the Angels pounded out 16 hits in their 10th victory in 14 games.

“We had a couple of great at-bats tonight from everybody,” Trout said.

Six Angels drove in a run as their lineup bounced back from a poor series opener, but Los Angeles won with another outstanding start from its 27-year-old rookie right-hander. Shoemaker’s emergence has steadied a rotation that lost Garrett Richards and Tyler Skaggs to season-ending injuries.

“You just can’t ask for a better game,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. “Today there was no doubt we needed some length from Matt. Getting into the seventh is huge.”

With his fourth straight win, Shoemaker passed the Yankees’ Masahiro Tanaka for the major league victories lead among rookies.

Nathan Eovaldi (6-9) gave up 10 hits in 3 1-3 innings while dropping his third straight start for the Marlins, who have lost four of six.

The Angels chased Eovaldi after their first six batters reached base in the fourth. Pujols then delivered a 6-0 lead on reliever Sam Dyson’s first pitch.

“My arm feels great,” Eovaldi said. “It’s probably the best I’ve felt in my career. No issues. It’s extremely discouraging and real frustrating. I’m just going through a rough little rut right now, so I have to keep grinding and work through it.”

Miami didn’t get a runner to second base until Garrett Jones’ two-out, two-strike double in the ninth. Jarrod Saltalamacchia’s ensuing RBI double allowed the Marlins to avoid their first shutout loss since June 21.

Giancarlo Stanton went 0 for 4 with three strikeouts.

EVERYDAY ERICK:

Erick Aybar extended his hitting streak to 11 games with his sixth straight multi-hit performance, matching his career best. He is batting .465 (20 for 43) during his hit streak and .379 in interleague play this season.

SHOEMAKER SUPERLATIVES:

Shoemaker is the first undrafted, American-born rookie to win at least 13 games since John Montefusco won 15 for the Giants in 1975. He also became just the fourth pitcher in Angels history to make consecutive starts with at least 7 shutout innings and two or fewer hits, joining a group including Nolan Ryan.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Marlins: Reliever Bryan Morris was sent back to Miami after feeling discomfort in his right hip.

Angels: The Angels designated LHP Wade LeBlanc for assignment and recalled reliever Yoslan Herrera to add fresh arms to their weary bullpen. Herrera pitched the ninth, giving up both Miami runs.

UP NEXT

Marlins: Henderson Alvarez (10-5, 2.57 ERA) pitches the series finale.

Angels: Hector Santiago (3-7, 3.38) attempts to add to his late-season surge in his first career start against the Marlins.

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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