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Cuddyer’s 7 RBIs lead Rockies past D-backs, 15-3

By WTOP Staff

DENNIS GEORGATOS
Associated Press

DENVER (AP) — Michael Cuddyer’s injury-plagued season is finishing on a high note.

Cuddyer hit a grand slam and drove in a career-high seven runs, leading the Colorado Rockies to a 15-3 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday night.

“When he’s been out there, he’s showing he’s still an elite hitter in this game,” Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. “He gets the barrel of his bat to the ball with impact.”

Cuddyer, whose contract with the Rockies expires after this season, has endured three stints on the disabled list, missing 99 games, twice because of a left hamstring strain and the other because of a left shoulder fracture.

Rather than dwell on the playing time that he lost, Cuddyer said he’s focused on closing the season out well since being reinstated Sept. 8 from his last stint on the DL.

“You can’t control any of that stuff, obviously,” the 35-year-old Cuddyer said. “I didn’t want to get hurt. I didn’t try to get hurt, but I did. To think of what might have been, you’re just doing yourself a disservice. There’s no point in doing that. The only thing you can do when you get out there on the field is play hard and hopefully things go your way.”

That philosophical approach paid off for him at the plate and helped Jordan Lyles, who pitched six strong innings, get his first win in six weeks.

“When you’re coming out of the game and Cuddy hits the grand slam, that was a fun inning,” Lyles said. “It was good as a starting pitcher, when you come out the game and we up a couple more runs, more than a couple.”

Rafael Ynoa added four hits and three RBIs and Wilin Rosario had three hits and two RBIs for the Rockies, who moved a game up on last-place Arizona in the NL West. It’s the first time Colorado hasn’t been in last place, either alone or shared, since July 13.

Lyles (7-3) gave up two runs and nine hits with one strikeout, consistently getting ground-ball outs en route to his first win in eight starts since Aug. 6.

Chase Anderson (9-7), trying to become the fifth Diamondbacks rookie with at least 10 wins in a season, allowed six runs and nine hits in five innings.

“I had a good fastball today and once I got ahead I put some guys away and other guys I didn’t. I wish I could have done that,” Anderson said.

The Rockies were leading 7-2 in the sixth when reliever Eury De La Rosa hit Justin Morneau with pitch to load the bases with one out. Cuddyer worked the count to 2-2 before driving De La Rosa’s pitch deep into the left-field bleachers for his eighth career slam and first since May 30, 2012, against Houston. It was the fourth slam by a Rockies player this season and marked the 20th consecutive game in which Colorado has homered.

Cuddyer came up with the bases loaded again in the eighth and lined a three-run double to the gap in left-center. He’s the first Rockies player with seven RBIs in a game since Jason Giambi on May 19, 2011, against Philadelphia.

Both Cuddyer and Rosario homered the night before in Colorado’s 7-6 win over Arizona with Rosario delivering a two-run game-ender in the ninth.

Ynoa just missed an inside-the-park homer, settling for a two-run triple in the fifth when he was tagged out at home by Miguel Montero on a beautiful inning ending relay from second baseman Chris Owings.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Diamondbacks: RHP Bronson Arroyo, who was injured in mid-June and later underwent reconstructive elbow surgery, was transferred to the 60-day disabled list.

UP NEXT

Diamondbacks:RHP Trevor Cahill (3-11) is slated to pitch Saturday night’s Game 3 of a four game set against the Rockies. He’s given up three or fewer runs in eight of his past 11 starts.

Rockies: RHP Eddie Butler (0-1) is scheduled to make his second career start Saturday night and first since taking the loss in his big league debut against the Dodgers on June 6. Butler was placed on the DL a day later because of right shoulder inflammation, missing five weeks and making two minor league rehab starts. He was recalled from Double-A Tulsa earlier this week.

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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