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Bonilla wins 1st start as Rangers top Braves 3-2

By WTOP Staff

SCHUYLER DIXON
AP Sports Writer

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Lisalverto Bonilla made it through six innings in his first major league start when Texas manager Tim Bogar would have been more than happy with five.

The 24-year-old right-hander’s reward came from fellow rookie Rougned Odor, whose two-run double in the sixth put the last-place Rangers ahead and gave Bonilla the win in a 3-2 interleague victory Saturday over the NL wild card-chasing Atlanta Braves.

“Amazed. How’s that?” Bogar offered with a smile when he asked if there was something beyond “ecstatic,” the word he used for how he would feel if Bonilla went five innings on a pitch count of roughly 75. “I was really happy with how he did.”

Atlanta’s Julio Teheran (13-12) took a no-hitter and a 2-0 lead into the sixth before a one-out single by Luis Sardinas.

An error by left fielder Justin Upton kept the inning alive, and Elvis Andrus had an RBI single before Odor doubled to the warning track in left-center field, scoring Leonys Martin and Andrus.

The Braves, who started the day three games behind Pittsburgh for the second NL wild-card spot, dropped to 2-6 on their nine-game road trip.

Bonilla (1-0), filling in after Scott Baker was scratched with triceps tendinitis, got through his six innings in 78 pitches despite four walks and three straight batters reaching in Atlanta’s two-run third.

He erased leadoff walks in the first and third by getting double-play grounders from Phil Gosselin and Christian Bethancourt. He followed each of the double plays with a walk but escaped further damage.

“Sometimes I was trying to be too fine on my pitches and that’s why I have problems with my control,” Bonilla, whose first two career appearances were out of the bullpen, said through a translator.

With closer Neftali Feliz unavailable, Neal Cotts pitched the ninth for his first save this season.

Teheran faded after a strong start for the second straight outing as the Braves dropped the first two of a three-game set in Texas. He struck out six in his fourth complete game of the season, and the only three hits he gave up were in the sixth.

“I wasn’t disappointed about the no-hitter,” the 23-year-old right-hander said. “I was just trying to keep the lead and win the game. The whole game I felt good.”

Teheran retired 13 of the first 14 last Sunday at Miami but allowed seven of the next nine to reach in a 4-0 loss. The sixth got him this time, but only after Upton’s two-out error when he tried to make a running catch and dropped a line drive from Martin.

“Nobody feels worse about it than Justin,” Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. “He makes that play 100 out of 100 times. He was coming in hard and it just bounced off his glove. It compounds it when we’re not scoring too many runs.”

RANGERS WITH RARE CHANCE

Texas goes for its first sweep since April on Sunday. The Rangers won consecutive games for the first time since Aug. 24-25 and just the third time since July 1. They also have a chance to finish .500 (10-10) in interleague play.

MILD TEXAS SUMMER

The temperature at first pitch was 59, the coolest since April 17 and 39 degrees lower than three nights earlier. It will go down as a mild summer for Texas baseball. The Rangers matched the coolest August gametime temperature at 71 and aren’t likely to add to the only triple-digit first pitch on July 27 (100 degrees).

TRAINER’S ROOM

Braves: Gonzalez said C Evan Gattis (strep throat) is likely to miss his sixth straight game in Sunday’s series finale, costing the Dallas native a chance to play in front of the hometown crowd.

Rangers: Bogar said he hopes Baker will pitch again this season. The next chance would be Friday at the Los Angeles Angels.

UP NEXT

Braves: LHP Mike Minor (6-10, 4.58 ERA) makes his first appearance against the Rangers. He has made six straight quality starts but has just a 2-3 record to show for it. The Braves have scored one run combined in his past two starts.

Rangers: RHP Colby Lewis (9-13, 5.29 ERA) is set for his team-leading 27th start a year after partial hip replacement surgery. He has gone at least seven innings in three straight starts, one shy of his career record in 2011.

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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