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Bumgarner wins 5th in row, Giants rout Dodgers 9-0

By WTOP Staff

JANIE McCAULEY
AP Baseball Writer

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Madison Bumgarner pitched himself into the San Francisco record book, took a share of the major league lead for wins and, most important to the soft-spoken southpaw, moved his team one step closer in an NL West race that could go down to the wire.

Bumgarner struck out eight on the way to his 18th victory, and the Giants moved within one game of NL West-leading Los Angeles by beating the Dodgers 9-0 on Friday night.

“It’s not hard to get up for the Dodgers series, especially the circumstances we’re in,” Bumgarner said. “The offense did an unbelievable job and kept scoring runs.”

Pinch-hitter Travis Ishikawa splashed a three-run homer into McCovey Cove, and Brandon Crawford hit a two-run drive in the fifth to help Bumgarner win his fifth straight start. Buster Posey and Crawford hit RBI doubles in the first as the Giants jumped on Hyun-Jin Ryu (14-7).

The Dodgers’ left-hander exited after only one inning because of irritation in his pitching shoulder. He said it’s similar to the problem he dealt with in May that landed him on the disabled list, raising doubt whether he will pitch again this season.

Ryu will be re-examined Saturday in the Bay Area.

“I’m staying positive. I felt this before in the past, so hopefully it will be the same time that it took to recover from that,” Ryu said through a translator. “I think it was a week or two.”

San Francisco, which leads the NL wild-card race, is one game back of Los Angeles for the first time since Aug. 4. The Giants have won a season-best 10 straight home games after handing the Dodgers their fifth shutout loss.

This group has its swagger back at home.

“It’s as good as it can be. It’s been that way for a while now,” Bumgarner said. “We’ve got a lot of guys who have been here and done this before.”

Bumgarner (18-9) reached 200 strikeouts for the first time in his career when he fanned Scott Van Slyke in the second. The lefty is tied with Dodgers Sunday starter Clayton Kershaw, Cincinnati’s Johnny Cueto and the Cardinals’ Adam Wainwright for most wins in the majors.

Los Angeles lined up its top starters for this series, while Giants manager Bruce Bochy opted to keep his pitchers on their regular schedule because things have been working well so far in September.

“It’s for first place. We’re a game behind them,” Crawford said. “We know the stakes.”

The Dodgers had the best road record in baseball and swept the Giants in three games at AT&T Park from July 25-27 — outscoring San Francisco 17-4.

“It’s live theater every night, we just don’t know the ending here,” Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said before the game.

Posey hit an RBI double in the first that sent the orange towel-twirling fans into a frenzy. Hunter Pence followed with a run-scoring single, then Joaquin Arias added an RBI single.

San Francisco’s home winning streak is its longest since an 11-game run from July 7-25, 2003, which is the best in the 15-year history of AT&T Park. The shutout matched the Giants’ largest at home against the Dodgers since moving to San Francisco in 1958.

The Giants also beat Los Angeles 9-0 on June 25, 1968.

Bumgarner needs two wins over his final three starts to become the Giants’ first 20-game winner since John Burkett (22) and Bill Swift (21) in 1993. Bumgarner has 207 strikeouts, most in a season by a San Francisco left-hander.

Ishikawa’s second career pinch-hit homer was the 102nd into the water and 67th by a San Francisco hitter.

“It’s a big series,” Bochy said. “Any time you can jump ahead, it’s huge for the club.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Dodgers: LHP Paco Rodriguez, on the disabled list since Aug. 4 with strained muscle below his pitching shoulder, threw a simulated game that went well. If he bounces back fine, Mattingly said a decision could be made as soon as Saturday about activating Rodriguez.

Giants: 1B Brandon Belt took batting practice a day after being medically cleared from a concussion. … OF-1B Michael Morse missed his 10th straight game with a strained left oblique. He took some pregame swings but still needs at least a couple of days.

UP NEXT

Dodgers: RHP Zack Greinke (14-8, 2.73 ERA) puts his unbeaten mark against NL West opponents this season on the line in the middle game of the series. He is 9-0 in 12 starts vs. the division.

Giants: RHP Tim Hudson (9-10, 3.12) makes his 16th career start against the Dodgers and second this season, trying to end a two-start skid.

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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