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Angels rout Astros 11-3 for 9th straight victory

By WTOP Staff

GREG BEACHAM
AP Sports Writer

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Even after a late flight home from Texas led into an early three-run deficit, the Los Angeles Angels’ incredible late-season offensive barrage still wouldn’t stop.

David Freese hit a two-run homer and Mike Trout had an RBI triple during Los Angeles’ seven-run fifth inning, and the Angels beat the Houston Astros 11-3 Friday night for their ninth consecutive victory.

Kole Calhoun had a tiebreaking, two-run single in the fifth for the major league-leading Angels (92-55), who began their final homestand by reducing their magic number to five for their first AL West title since 2009. They lead spiraling Oakland, which lost 4-2 in Seattle, by 11 games with 15 to play.

“We’re just playing good baseball,” said Calhoun, who had his 12th three-hit game of the season. “Confidence is huge, and it just seems like we’re all playing together. There’s never a panic mode. It’s been fun coming to the yard every day.”

Trout had an RBI double in the fourth and Howie Kendrick added a two-run double in the sixth for Los Angeles. The Angels have won 15 of 17 overall, highlighted by their longest winning streak since August 2004.

After a slow start in their first game back from a 10-day, four-city road trip, the Angels obliterated Houston’s early 3-0 lead with another eye-popping night from the majors’ most productive offense. Los Angeles has scored at least seven runs in eight consecutive games, matching the 1979 franchise record.

“It’s certainly a good time for it,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. “They cracked the door open for us a little bit, and then (we got) just some key hits all the way around.”

The Angels scored 70 runs during their eight-game road streak, and they increased that crazy offensive pace in their return to the Big A, trouncing the only team that has beaten them since Aug. 25. The Astros took two straight from Los Angeles early last week.

Brett Oberholtzer (5-11) couldn’t get through the fifth for the Astros, who had won eight of 10.

“They’re a good team, and they’re on a roll,” Houston interim manager Tom Lawless said. “There’s no doubt about that. So if we don’t play a clean game … we made a miscue here, we made a miscue there, and they just took advantage of it. That’s what good teams do.”

The Angels had seven hits in the fifth, scoring their first run of the inning when Jake Marisnick dropped Collin Cowgill’s fly ball in right for an error. Calhoun, Trout and Albert Pujols all drove in runs before Freese’s eighth homer, his second in 42 games.

“I just missed it,” Marisnick said. “I just dropped it. The ball has got to be caught. It was a big point in the game and it gave them some momentum.”

C.J. Wilson (12-9) struggled just to reach the fifth, but the Angels’ offense secured his second straight victory. The inconsistent left-hander gave up seven hits and struck out six.

Marisnick, from nearby Riverside, got a 20-foot RBI single in the first inning when Wilson and catcher Chris Iannetta couldn’t field his bases-loaded topper cleanly.

Los Angeles maintained its four-game lead over Baltimore (88-59) for the majors’ best record.

CHALLENGE ACCEPTED

Robbie Grossman reached first in the fourth inning when Lawless successfully challenged a call for the first time as the Astros’ manager. Replays showed C.J. Cron hadn’t applied a tag after catching an errant throw from Erick Aybar. Grossman came around to score on Dexter Fowler’s double.

BEARD AND WEIRD

Before the game, Angels President Tim Carpino donned a fake black beard as he presented the AL pitcher of the month award to right-hander Matt Shoemaker. The executive’s phony facial hair was even bigger than Shoemaker’s tonsorial trademark. Several Angels reserves also wore fake beards for a group photo with Shoemaker.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Angels: Cleanup hitter Josh Hamilton missed his eighth straight game with an injured right shoulder, and the offense again didn’t miss him. The 2010 AL MVP’s return is still uncertain. … LHP Joe Thatcher was activated from the disabled list after a six-week absence with a sprained ankle.

UP NEXT

Astros RHP Scott Feldman (8-10, 3.99 ERA) starts the middle game of the series against RHP Jered Weaver (16-8, 3.58), who looks for his AL-leading 17th win.

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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