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Teheran roughed up by Rockies in 8-2 loss

By WTOP Staff

DENVER (AP) — Julio Teheran took the mound Wednesday night for the Atlanta Braves with the best ERA in the majors. He left after his worst outing of the season.

Teheran allowed 10 hits and seven runs, both season-highs, in 6 1/3 innings, as the Colorado Rockies beat the Braves 8-2.

He had won a career-best four consecutive games, with a 1.23 ERA in that span, but he gave up three runs in the first.

“It wasn’t my day from the first inning,” Teheran (6-4) said. “I was trying to compete the whole game. I know it was a tough day for me. I’m just glad that I was able to compete and get through six innings.”

Tyler Matzek pitched two-hit ball for the first seven innings of his major league debut for Colorado before faltering in the eighth.

The left-hander retired the first 13 hitters and 21 of 23 before allowing three straight singles to start the eighth. He is the third Colorado pitcher in the last six days to make his debut.

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.

Teheran (6-4) allowed an RBI double by Drew Stubbs and Corey Dickerson’s two-run triple in the first. His ERA jumped from 1.89 to 2.41.

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

Matzek, who had control problems coming up through the minors, 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.

“He has good stuff, 94-95 mile an hour 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 went to three-ball counts on two batters — Freddie Freeman in the first and Andrelton Simmons in the fifth.

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 was pretty good,” Simmons said. “We didn’t do a good job of hitting strikes. He didn’t do much. He threw a fastball and a slider the whole game pretty much, and we didn’t hit. You got to give him some credit, but we got to take some blame, too. You got to be better.”

Johnson, Tommy La Stella and 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 Freeman to fly out

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.

NOTES: Atlanta C Evan Gattis singled in the eighth to extend his hitting streak to 12 games. … Braves manager Fredi 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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