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Matzek shines in debut as Rockies beat Braves 8-2.

By WTOP Staff

MICHAEL KELLY
Associated Press

DENVER (AP) — Tyler Matzek was nervous and wild in his bullpen session before his first major league start. When he took the mound he was nearly unhittable.

Matzek pitched two-hit ball for the first seven innings of his big league debut before faltering in the eighth, and the Colorado Rockies beat the Atlanta Braves 8-2 on Wednesday night.

The left-hander retired the first 13 hitters and 21 of 23 before allowing three straight singles to start the eighth. His strong start to the game masked the jitters catcher Mike McKenry helped ease.

“The first inning was really, really nervous,” Matzek said. “Mac was calming me down, telling me it was the same thing as Triple-A, just go out there and play your game. I let it be a positive thing, not a negative thing. If I try to fight it, it turns into a negative thing so I was just embracing it.”

Matzek (1-0) allowed two runs on five hits and struck out seven in seven-plus innings. He also had his first hit and run scored. The Rockies had lost 11 of 12.

He is the third Colorado pitcher in the last six days to make his debut and the first to get a win.

“A masterful performance by Tyler. An explosive fastball and his slider looked like it disappeared,” Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. “He had it all working. He commanded it. Very impressive.”

It was what the Rockies needed after they had lost 15 of 18. They broke out against Braves starter Julio Teheran, who had blanked them over six innings in Atlanta on May 25.

Teheran (6-4) entered Wednesday with a 1.89 ERA, best in the majors, but Colorado scored three in the first on Drew Stubbs’ RBI double and Corey Dickerson’s two-run triple.

Troy Tulowitzki and Justin Morneau had three hits each for Colorado.

“It wasn’t my day from the first inning,” Teheran said. “I didn’t have a problem with the grip and with my pitches. I think I got my good stuff. A couple bloopers that happened and they got me on a couple base hits.”

Matzek breezed through the first four innings on 39 pitches. Atlanta hit three balls hard, including a line drive by Teheran snared by Morneau to end the third.

Morneau couldn’t come down with Justin Upton’s single with one out in the fifth to give the Braves their first baserunner. The Coors Field crowd acknowledged Matzek’s early work with applause after Upton’s hit.

Chris Johnson followed with a single to right but Matzek retired the next two batters to get out of the inning.

“He has good stuff, 94-95 mph fastball,” Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. “The whole day you’re talking to guys, ‘Hey, this guy sprays it around a little bit. Be patient.’ I’m not sure how many three-ball counts he got into, if any.”

Matzek didn’t walk a batter and threw 71 pitches through seven innings before the Braves got to him.

Johnson, Tommy La Stella and Andrelton Simmons singled to start the eight and make it 8-1.Franklin Morales came on and gave up a two-out RBI single to B.J. Upton before getting Freddie Freeman to fly out.

Matzek received another ovation as he walked to the dugout when Weiss pulled him in the eighth.

“It felt amazing. Great fans, great fan base,” he said.

The Rockies made it 4-0 in the third when Tulowitzki scored on a sacrifice fly by Stubbs.

Josh Rutledge scored from third when Tulowitzki, who singled, was caught in a rundown between first and second in the fifth. Stubbs and Dickerson led off the sixth with consecutive doubles to give Colorado a 6-0 lead.

Tulowitzki and Morneau had RBI singles in the seventh.

Teheran allowed seven runs on 10 hits and struck out five in 6 1-3 innings.

“I know it was a tough day for me. I’m just glad that I was able to compete and get through six innings,” Teheran said.

NOTES: Atlanta C Evan Gattis singled in the eighth to extend his hitting streak to 12 games. … Gonzalez was named one of the coaches for the NL at the All-Star Game in Minnesota next month. … The Rockies optioned RHP Chad Bettis to Triple A to make room for Matzek. … Justin Upton returned to the lineup after being removed in the first inning Tuesday because of a left hamstring injury. … Atlanta will send Ervin Santana (5-2, 3.69) against Colorado’s Jhoulys Chacin (0-4, 5.35) on 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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