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Cardinals hold off Rockies 5-4

By WTOP Staff

R.B. FALLSTROM
AP Sports Writer

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Matt Holliday powered the St. Louis Cardinals to another early lead, and they got another stingy start plus some offense from Shelby Miller, too.

It was just enough to keep the NL Central leaders rolling.

Miller pitched six solid innings and had an RBI double after Holliday set the tone when he homered in the first for the second straight night, leading St. Louis to a 5-4 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Saturday.

“He’s one of the best hitters in the game,” Miller said. “When he runs into a ball like that, you know he’s got the power. It was a huge home run for us.”

Matt Carpenter added a two-run homer in the second for the Cardinals, who have won 12 in a row at home in the final month of the season dating to last Sept. 14. Of their 10 runs in the first two games of this series, seven have come in the first two innings.

The Cardinals are 9-4 this month. They increased their division lead to 3 1/2 games over Pittsburgh, which lost 6-4 to the Chicago Cubs.

Wilin Rosario, Josh Rutledge and pinch-hitter Michael McKenry each drove in a run in the ninth for Colorado. The Rockies had the tying run on second when Pat Neshek got pinch-hitter Rafael Ynoa to fly out for his sixth save in nine chances.

Manager Mike Matheny said whenever possible he would try to avoid using closer Trevor Rosenthal on consecutive days.

Miller (10-9) and Adam Wainwright, who won his 18th game Friday, combined for 13 strikeouts and no walks in 14 innings. Miller has allowed one run in his last 20 innings over three starts, with a career-best 17 2-3-inning scoreless streak ending on Ben Paulsen’s RBI single in the fourth.

Miller has added a quality curveball to his repertoire during the run.

“I threw some that backed up a little bit,” Miller said. “But for the most part, I got it over for strikes and got some swings and misses out of it.”

Holliday hit his 18th homer to straightaway center off Franklin Morales (6-8). Morales was one strike away from a perfect second when Pete Kozma walked on a full count, Miller followed with his fifth double and Carpenter hit his eighth homer to make it 4-0.

Morales worked six scoreless innings to beat the Padres in his last start and though he’s among the league leaders with 24 homers allowed, he had permitted just one in his previous four outings. He needed 28 pitches to get through the first, with just one swing and miss, and gave up four runs in four innings.

“I felt pretty good,” Morales said. “I missed two pitches and they got me.”

Even with the three-run ninth, the Rockies have totaled seven runs during a five-game losing streak. They entered the game batting .318 at home with 108 homers and .227 on the road with 60 homers.

“There were a few things we didn’t execute on both sides of the ball,” manager Walt Weiss said. “In the end, it cost us.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Rockies: 1B Justin Morneau did not start after straining a side muscle on Friday. He is day to day.

Cardinals: Michael Wacha has struggled to regain his form after a shoulder injury sidelined him for nearly two months, and he will not start Sunday. The team is hoping a little rest will help the 23-year-old right-hander.

UP NEXT

Rockies: Jordan Lyles (6-2, 4.20 ERA) won his first start after coming off the DL from a broken left hand, but is 0-1 in six starts since then. He pitched six innings of one-run ball in a no-decision at the New York Mets in his previous start.

Cardinals: Rookie Marco Gonzales (2-2, 5.01 ERA) makes his fifth career start after backing up Wacha’s two abbreviated starts since coming off the DL. The Cardinals also are skipping John Lackey, announcing after the game that Lance Lynn, Wainwright and Miller would face division rival Milwaukee from Tuesday through Thursday.

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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