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LeBlanc makes case to stick around with Angels

By WTOP Staff

JANIE McCAULEY
AP Baseball Writer

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Three times this season Wade LeBlanc got designated for assignment and bounced back, two of those cases with his current club.

His latest performance might have earned him a spot on the Angels’ playoff roster, or at least made manager Mike Scioscia think hard about the decision.

LeBlanc (1-1) ran his scoreless stretch to 15 2-3 innings over his last six outings in a 2-0 victory over Oakland on Tuesday night, dropping the Athletics into a tie with Kansas City for the AL’s top wild card spot.

“Any time players perform well, it’s going to help you to be stronger and help you make decisions,” Scioscia said. “We haven’t made any decisions yet but these are two strong starts from Wade.”

LeBlanc allowed five hits in 5 1-3 innings for the AL West champions. LeBlanc is the second of three straight left-handers the Angels are throwing in this series.

He was first designated by the Angels on May 31, then by the New York Yankees in June, and Los Angeles again in late August.

“It’s been awesome. It’s been a big-time blessing to end up back here with the opportunity I’ve had to throw some meaningful pitches and try to give these guys a chance to win,” LeBlanc said. “They’ve been awesome about everything.”

Gordon Beckham homered for the Angels, who struck out 12 times against A’s starter Sonny Gray. Mike Trout was fanned three times in Gray’s biggest strikeout game yet, one month to the day after Jon Lester struck out the Angels slugger three times at the Coliseum.

But Gray had nothing to show for it as Oakland was shut out for the seventh time since Aug. 1.

Gray (13-10) is 0-3 in his last six starts. The right-hander has one victory in 11 starts since a 5-0 July that earned him AL pitcher of the month honors.

Of Trout’s 13 games with three or more strikeouts, three are against the A’s. Gray struck out eight of the first 11 batters he faced.

“He was tough against us,” Scioscia said. “We didn’t get many hits but we did some things on the bases to generate some runs. We made it hold up.”

The A’s had a chance to tie the game in the fifth after Josh Reddick’s one-out double. Eric Sogard grounded out two batters later on an off-balance throw by second baseman Howie Kendrick that just beat Sogard, who slid headfirst.

Los Angeles went ahead in the second on an unearned run when Erick Aybar scored from third during a rundown. Efren Navarro was caught stealing at second on a 2-6-3-4 double play after Hank Conger struck out swinging.

Beckham hit his ninth homer leading off the sixth.

The A’s loaded the bases in the eighth against Joe Smith, who retired Stephen Vogt on a shallow fly to right to escape unscathed. Huston Street finished the three-hit shutout for his 16th save with the Angels and 40th overall.

“I left a small village of runners in scoring position,” Vogt said.

Oakland was shut down after scoring 16 runs over its previous two games. That outburst came after the A’s totaled only 19 runs in their previous 10 contests.

LeBlanc did his part.

“Whatever happens after this is hopefully with this team,” he said. “I love the guys here, I love the staff. Everything’s been incredible so far.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Angels: Jered Weaver (18-8) had the flu for a second straight day and left the ballpark. Scioscia said there is flexibility to push Weaver’s next start from Friday to Saturday if the right-hander needs an extra day. … 3B David Freese was held out of the lineup after he experienced tightness in his upper back earlier in the day. … OF Josh Hamilton hit off a tee for the second straight day. He missed his 18th game in 19 because of pain in his upper body. … Scioscia said RHP Matt Shoemaker is “symptom-free” from a strained left oblique but won’t pitch again in the regular season. He still needs to throw off a mound. “You don’t want to jump over a step and risk setting yourself back,” Scioscia said.

Athletics: C Derek Norris was the DH for a second straight day after requiring an injection in his troublesome shoulder. He is slated to start Wednesday’s series finale.

UP NEXT

Angels: LHP Hector Santiago (5-9, 3.98 ERA) has pitched two or fewer innings in each of his past two starts — both losses — after winning his previous three. He had no-decisions with a 1.00 ERA in his first three outings against Oakland this season.

Athletics: Lester (16-10, 2.41) looks to improve on his 3-1 September record and beat the Angels for the first time in three starts this year.

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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