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Morrison’s HR in 9th puts Mariners past Angels 3-1

By WTOP Staff

GREG BEACHAM
AP Sports Writer

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Logan Morrison felt no weight on his shoulders from the Seattle Mariners’ two-game offensive drought and teetering playoff hopes when he stepped to the plate with two outs in the ninth inning of a scoreless game.

“Nerve-wracking? Are you kidding me?” he asked. “This is awesome. This is what you dream about as a kid.”

Morrison only imagined the possibilities — and with one big swing, he blasted the Mariners forward in the AL postseason race.

Morrison hit a three-run homer, and Seattle boosted its wild-card hopes with a 3-1 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday night.

Felix Hernandez struck out 11 during seven innings of three-hit ball as the Mariners pulled within one game of the slumping Oakland Athletics for the second AL wild-card spot.

Although the Angels rested their regulars and scratched ace Jered Weaver a day after clinching the AL West title, Seattle still had to sweat out its third win in nine games, ending a 17-inning scoreless stretch with Morrison’s ninth homer.

“Words can’t describe that feeling,” Morrison said. “I just know we’re in a race, and we need every hit we can get. We need every run we can get. We need ever win we can get. We’ve had some offensive struggles lately, but we’ve got a bunch of guys that don’t know how to quit.”

After Kendrys Morales singled and pinch-runner James Jones advanced on a bad pickoff throw by Kevin Jepsen (0-2), Morrison deposited a belt-high changeup into the left-field stands.

“We had to lure them into a false sense of security,” Seattle manager Lloyd McClendon said with a grin.

“Everybody thinks that’s easy (to face a lineup of unknowns),” McClendon added. “That’s scary. It’s hard to prepare. You read scouting reports, but you haven’t had first-hand competition against them, so that makes it tough.”

Tom Wilhelmsen (3-2) escaped a bases-loaded jam of his own making in the eighth.

Fernando Rodney allowed Hank Conger’s homer in the ninth before finishing his 46th save, passing Kazuhiro Sasaki for the most in a single season in club history.

Wade LeBlanc pitched three-hit ball into the sixth inning of his second start for the major league-leading Angels, who fielded a lineup of reserves after partying into the wee hours to celebrate clinching their first division title since 2009.

The Angels are still playing for home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. Their lead over Baltimore for the majors’ best record is down to 2 1-2 games.

LeBlanc significantly improved on his only previous start for the Angels, a 7-1 loss to Miami on Aug. 25. LeBlanc cleared waivers and returned for the Angels’ postseason push, making five solid relief appearances before striking out three Mariners and walking none.

“That’s the life of a swingman, or a long reliever, or a spot starter,” LeBlanc said. “I’ve been fortunate to do that in the past, so it wasn’t anything new. Anytime they want to give me the ball, I’m ready for it.”

LINING UP

The Angels pulled Weaver about six hours before game time, pushing his next start back to Saturday to put him in line to start the AL division series opener Oct. 2.

K FOR KING

Hernandez hit a new career-high for strikeouts in a season when he fanned Shawn O’Malley in the fifth inning for his 233rd. It was his sixth double-digit strikeout game of the season and the 32nd of his career.

Hernandez has pitched superbly in his four September starts as he tries to earn another Cy Young award, but the Mariners have given him little help at the plate, scoring just four total runs while Hernandez was in those four games.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Angels: Cleanup hitter Josh Hamilton has a new pain in his upper body, and he sat out for the 13th time in 14 games. Scioscia hopes the injury is minor.

UP NEXT

Mariners: Taijuan Walker (1-2, 2.96) traveled early to Houston to prepare for the opener of a key series against Brad Peacock and the Astros.

Angels: Hector Santiago (5-8, 3.55) opens Los Angeles’ final home series against the Texas Rangers and Lisalverto Bonilla.

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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