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Hudson pitches Giants past Nationals

By WTOP Staff

RICK EYMER
Associated Press

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Giants manager Bruce Bochy expected good things from Tim Hudson. He’s getting even better results than he anticipated.

Hudson threw seven strong innings and left with a major league-best 1.81 ERA as San Francisco avoided a four-game sweep, beating the Washington Nationals 7-1 on Thursday.

“I’ve always admired him from the other side, how well he competes,” Bochy said. “I felt we were getting a front-line pitcher who will give us a chance to win on a consistent basis. He’s done all we’ve expected and even more.”

Michael Morse got three hits and scored twice for the Giants, who had a five-game winning streak before Washington came to town. The Nationals have lost just twice in 10 games.

“It’s not much fun playing the fourth game of a series trying not to get swept,” Bochy said. “The guys did a good job of forgetting the first three games and went out and played well.”

Hudson (7-2) allowed one unearned run and six hits. He walked two, struck out five and improved to 3-0 in his last five starts, which includes a suspended game. The Giants are 7-0 in games Hudson has started at home.

“We played good defense to keep me out of some jams,” Hudson said.

Blake Treinen (0-3) remained winless at the major league level despite a 2.08 ERA. He gave up two runs and five hits in five innings.

“I’m confident I can compete at this level,” Treinen said. “But I still need to improve, especially the command of my fastball.”

Pinch-hitter Hector Sanchez had a two-run single for the Giants.

Ryan Zimmerman drove in a run for the Nationals. Jose Lobaton, making his third consecutive start behind the plate, added two hits.

Hudson allowed two or fewer runs for the 10th time in 13 starts. He beat the Nationals for the 17th time, the most of any active player, in 30 starts.

“I just try to go out there and give us a chance to win,” Hudson said. “It doesn’t matter than we lost three in a row or won three in a row. I feel like I put forth the same effort every time. When you have lost three straight to the same team there’s more urgency behind it.”

Treinen, who replaced the injured Gio Gonzalez in the starting rotation, has pitched against tough competition. The four starters he’s faced have combined for 14 opening day starts.

“He’s done well and is working hard at every aspect of the game,” Nationals’ manager Matt Williams said. “He has that power slider, which is his go-to pitch. Working on the development of his other pitches is what is important.”

The Giants scored twice in the second. Morse singled, Tyler Colvin tripled and Brandon Crawford had an RBI grounder.

San Francisco added two more in the sixth on a balk by reliever Craig Stammen and an RBI single by pinch-hitter Gregor Blanco.

NOTES: Giants INF Marco Scutaro (back) was scheduled to start swinging a bat to see how he’s progressing. “He’s looking forward to getting his rehab going,” Bochy said. “He wants to start doing baseball activities.” … Gonzalez was scheduled to make one last rehab start Thursday before rejoining the team. … Washington RHP Jordan Zimmermann (5-2, 3.17) starts at St. Louis on Friday night. He is 0-4 in seven starts against the Cardinals. … RHP Tim Lincecum (5-4, 4.97) will start for the Giants when the Colorado Rockies come to town for a three-game series beginning Friday.

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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