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Peavy strikes out 8, pitches Giants past D-backs

By WTOP Staff

JANIE McCAULEY
AP Baseball Writer

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Jake Peavy brings an all-out intensity to the San Francisco Giants that manager Bruce Bochy considers perfect for the September push. The veteran pitcher only wishes he could face the Los Angeles Dodgers this weekend.

Peavy did his part to put San Francisco in prime position heading into the key series, striking out eight without walking a batter to win his third start in a row in the Giants’ 6-2 victory against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday.

San Francisco, which leads the NL wild-card standings, pulled within two games of the idle Dodgers a day before a key weekend series against the NL West leaders at AT&T Park.

“There’s nobody in this clubhouse who believes we can’t get it done. There’s a championship pedigree around here,” Peavy said. “Over the past few weeks, we’ve found some identity.”

Hunter Pence put the Giants ahead on a quirky RBI single in the first. Pence literally threw his bat at the ball, which hit the front corner of second base and skipped into shallow right-center. Pence also drew a bases-loaded walk in his team’s season-best ninth straight home win.

“Everybody was kind of laughing,” said Juan Perez, who came off the bench to add an RBI double. “You don’t see that every time.”

Buster Posey had a more traditional RBI single among his three hits, helping the Giants extend their season-best home winning streak. It’s their longest unbeaten run at AT&T Park since nine in a row in May 2011.

Peavy (5-4) walked off to a standing ovation in the sixth after allowing Mark Trumbo’s RBI double. The right-hander is 5-1 with a 1.12 ERA over his last six starts, finally getting ample run support. Peavy allowed six hits in all over 5 2-3 innings, and has been an important addition since his trade from the Red Sox on July 26.

Jake Lamb homered against Santiago Casilla in the ninth, but Arizona matched its season-high losing streak at six games.

“If you’re not hitting, you have to play better, and we didn’t do that,” center fielder A.J. Pollock said. “They had a couple of hits I’m still scratching my head how they got. But they are believing in it right now and have a lot of positive vibes going.”

After Pence’s earlier bloop, Brandon Crawford hit a single that barely fell in down the line. Left fielder Alfredo Marte tried to catch the ball, stumbled over the bullpen mound and lost his glove. Crawford advanced on the error.

The Giants swept Arizona at home for the first time since May 2011. San Francisco plays all of its remaining games against division opponents.

Randall Delgado (3-4) was tagged for three runs and seven hits in four innings, making just his second start since April 10. He spent most of the season as a reliever.

Arizona’s starting pitchers have allowed three or fewer runs in 14 straight games.

The Giants have outscored opponents 58-14 during their home winning streak.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Diamondbacks: The D-backs were hopeful rookie OF David Peralta could return Friday from a back injury but manager Kirk Gibson indicated it could be a few more days. Peralta, who hasn’t played since Sept. 5, is scheduled for an MRI exam Friday.

Giants: OF-1B Michael Morse took dry swings as he works back from a left oblique strain that has forced him to miss the last nine games. “He’s about 50 percent right now,” Bochy said. “He’s, my guess, two to three days away.”

THE OTHER BOCHY

Bochy’s pitching son, Brett, is yet to make his major league debut since joining the club as a September call-up. A few more runs on the board and he might have had his chance.

“I have guys who need some work,” the manager said. “I’ll get him in at some point. He gets it. He’s been around the game a long time.”

UP NEXT

Diamondbacks: LHP Vidal Nuno (0-5, 3.16) tries again for his first victory since joining Arizona from the New York Yankees, when the D-backs open a six-game homestand by hosting the San Diego Padres. Nuno’s last win came June 27 against the Red Sox. He has allowed two runs or fewer in his last five starts.

Giants: LHP Madison Bumgarner (17-9, 3.02) pitches the opener against the Dodgers, looking to build on his already career-best wins. One strikeout will give Bumgarner 200 in a season for the first time in his career.

SELIG VISIT: Commissioner Bud Selig stopped at AT&T Park and toured the new edible garden in center field as part of his farewell ballpark tour. He said he is 18 ballparks into his schedule, with four or five more upcoming stops on the calendar and more in the playoffs.

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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