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Stubbs’ RBI single lifts Rockies past Padres

By WTOP Staff

DENNIS GEORGATOS
Associated Press

DENVER (AP) — Facing a five-man infield, Drew Stubbs hit the ball hard enough to find a hole and end the game.

Stubbs’ tiebreaking RBI single in the 12th inning squirted through a gap in San Diego’s desperation defensive alignment, lifting the Colorado Rockies past the Padres, 7-6, on Saturday night.

D.J. LeMahieu doubled off Jesse Hahn (7-4) to start the 12th and Charlie Culberson sacrificed him to third. Hahn then intentionally walked Charlie Blackmon and San Diego manager Bud Black aligned three defenders between third and second base, along with an extra defender between first and second in hopes of cutting off any grounder and getting the runner at the plate.

But Stubbs singled sharply down the third base line and the ball rolled into left field, allowing LeMahieu to score the winning run and sending the Padres to their fourth loss in a row.

“He hit the ball hard and he had to hit it hard to get the ball through a five-man infield,” Rockies manager Walt Weiss said.

Stubbs said Hahn threw him three straight curveballs and the last one tailed over the outer edge of the plate.

“I didn’t get it up in the air like I wanted to, but I hit it well enough to find the hole,” Stubbs said. “That was the first time I’ve had five guys in the infield. It’s an interesting tactic by them. A few feet either way, and it might have worked.”

San Diego manager Bud Black stacked his infield defense in hopes of preventing a ball from getting through.

“You’ve seen a lot of teams doing it, make them hit the ball over our heads,” Black said. “But it is a tough situation.”

Nick Masset (2-0) picked up the victory with an inning of scoreless relief.

Justin Morneau finished with four hits, including a home run, and two RBIs for the Rockies. LeMahieu added a two-run single as Colorado won for the fourth time in five games.

Joe Wieland had a rocky return to the big leagues after a nearly 2 1/2-year absence following reconstructive right elbow surgery. He allowed four runs on seven hits in 2 1-3 innings in his first appearance since May 6, 2012, against Miami at Petco Park, but did not figure in the decision.

Jorge De La Rosa, who signed a two-year contract extension earlier this week, left in the sixth with a 6-3 lead but the Rockies bullpen couldn’t hold it.

The Padres evened the score at 6-all in the eighth on former Rockie Seth Smith’s RBI single off reliever Rex Brothers.

Michael McKenry homered off Weiland in the second and tacked on an RBI single during a three-run third that also included Morneau’s two-run shot for his 15th homer of the season.

San Diego, blanked in a 3-0 loss the night before, broke through in the fourth on the first of two RBI singles by Jedd Gyorko. Tommy Medica homered to start the fifth, and pinch-hitter Cory Spangenberg had a two-run homer off reliever Tommy Kahnle in the seventh, pulling the Padres to within a run.

PITCHERS APLENTY

The teams combined to use 19 pitchers in the game, including San Diego’s Andrew Cashner who flied out as a pinch-hitter to end the 11th with runners at the corners. “Those games can last a long time in September with the expanded rosters because you just keep firing players and it seems like you never run out, though they did run out of position players,” Weiss said.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Padres: LF Abraham Almonte was shaken up when he slipped and fell hard as he charged Josh Rutledge’s sinking liner that dropped for a double in the third inning. Tended to by team trainers for several minutes, Almonte got to his feet and remained in the game until the sixth. RHP Joaquin Benoit, working to return from soreness in his pitching shoulder, played catch Saturday. Manager Bud Black said he came out of the light workout fine. Benoit has missed the last 10 games but the Padres are hoping he’ll be able to return before the end of the season.

Rockies: X-rays taken on the left ankle of LHP Christian Friedrich revealed no structural damage. Friedrich twisted the ankle duing an appearance in Tuesday’s game with San Francisco, falling down on the mound when he took a bad step during his follow-through.

UP NEXT

Padres: RHP Tyson Ross (13-12) comes into Sunday’s series finale with a streak of 14 consecutive quality starts, the longest such streak in team history.

Rockies: LHP Franklin Morales (5-7) will be seeking his first win since July 8, which came against San Diego. He’s 0-3 with five no decisions and a 6.09 ERA in eight outings since then. However, he’s 2-0 with a 1.54 ERA in his two previous starts against the Padres this season.

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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