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Stults, Padres hand D-backs 7th straight loss, 6-5

By WTOP Staff

BOB BAUM
AP Sports Writer

PHOENIX (AP) — Eric Stults got a little support for a change, and the result was a 6-5 victory for the San Diego Padres over the Arizona, extending the Diamondbacks’ losing streak to a season-worst seven games.

Friday night’s game marked only the third time in his 29 starts this season that the Padres have scored more than three runs for the left-hander.

“I’ve said repeatedly that he’s the victim of the least amount of run support in the game,” San Diego manager Bud Black said.

In Stults’ previous three starts, all losses, the Padres had scored a total of two runs.

“This year has just been one of those years,” he said. “I’ve played on a lot of teams where there always seems to be one guy that doesn’t get a lot of run support. Guys play hard. Obviously they’ve been trying.”

Stults (7-16), tied with Philadelphia’s A.J. Burnett and the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Kevin Correia for most losses in the majors, allowed five runs — two earned — and seven hits in six innings.

“They nicked him for some runs, but that was a win that he deserved,” Black said. “I thought he pitched well.”

A.J. Pollock had three hits for the Diamondbacks, including a three-run homer after third baseman Yangervis Solarte’s two-out error in Arizona’s four-run fifth inning.

Vidal Nuno (0-6) gave up six runs, the most in his 12 starts since coming to Arizona in a trade with the New York Yankees, where he was 2-5. Nuno allowed two or fewer runs in each of his previous five starts.

“Nuno has been throwing the ball great for us and tonight he didn’t have his good stuff,” Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson said. “The ball was elevated. He couldn’t get it down. He didn’t have the action on his pitches.”

Padres shortstop Alexi Amarista robbed Jake Lamb of a hit in the ninth inning with a diving stop, getting a forceout at second.

“It would have been a completely different ballgame if we got that runner on,” Pollock said.

Arizona went on to put runners at first and third with two outs in the ninth against Kevin Quackenbush before pinch-hitter Aaron Hill flied out to left.

Quackenbush got his third save as San Diego won for only the second time in nine games.

San Diego scored two runs in the first, the second on Cameron Maybin’s triple to left-center. The Padres added two in the third on Jedd Gyorko’s RBI double and Yasmani Grandal’s run-scoring single.

Rene Rivera hit a solo homer on a 1-2 pitch from Nuno in the fifth.

Arizona rallied with four runs, one earned, in the fifth to cut the lead to 6-5. Lamb led off with a triple and scored on Nolan Reimold’s pinch-hit single. Solarte booted Chris Owings’ two-out grounder, and Pollock hit the next pitch over the wall in left.

The Diamondbacks are 1-11 in Nuno’s starts.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Padres: OF Will Venable was out of the lineup after leaving Wednesday’s game against the Los Angeles Dodgers with a back strain. … OF Abraham Almonte (soreness) has been out for the past week.

Diamondbacks: OF David Peralta has been out of the lineup since Saturday with a sore back. He was awaiting results of an MRI. … RHP Matt Reynolds, coming off Tommy John surgery, threw a bullpen session.

UP NEXT

Padres: RHP Tyson Ross (13-13, 2.66 ERA) has gone at least six innings in 23 of his last 28 starts. In that span, his ERA is 2.57. The Padres have won seven of Ross’ last 10 starts.

Diamondbacks: Rookie RHP Chase Anderson (8-6, 3.71) is one-third of an inning shy of his professional high (137 2-3.) He is 5-2 with a 3.45 ERA against NL West foes.

POLLOCK’S BACK

Pollock is batting .370 (10 for 27) in eight games since returning from the disabled list on Sept. 5. His home run was his first since coming back. The center fielder also threw out Amarista trying to stretch a single. Pollock missed three months with a broken right hand, the result of being hit by a pitch from Cincinnati’s Johnny Cueto.

FINALLY SOME OFFENSE

Both teams had been weak at the plate.

Arizona’s five runs were by far its most during the losing streak. The Diamondbacks had totaled eight in their previous six games, never more than two in any of them. San Diego’s six runs matched its most in the last nine games. In five of those, the Padres scored a combined two runs and were shut out three times.

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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