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Rendon homers, Nationals rally past Astros 6-5

By WTOP Staff

HARVEY VALENTINE
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Washington Nationals are hitting again, and showing the resiliency that enabled them to put together numerous late-inning rallies earlier in the season.

It couldn’t have come at a better time.

Anthony Rendon homered to spark a three-run seventh inning, and pinch-hitter Nate McLouth came through with a tiebreaking sacrifice fly as the Nationals rallied past the Houston Astros 6-5 on Wednesday night for a two-game series sweep

“That’s kind of how we’ve done it all year, not necessarily lately, but we grind out at-bats,” Nationals outfielder Jayson Werth said. “We got some big hits late and came from behind there after a big inning for them.”

It was the 17th come-from-behind victory for Washington, which extended its NL East lead to 1 1-2 games over Atlanta and Miami. The Nationals open a four-game series against the Braves on Thursday night in Washington.

Rendon led off the seventh against Josh Zeid with his 10th home run, cutting the deficit to 5-4. The Houston native is 9 for 18 against the Astros with seven RBIs.

“He continues to swing a hot bat against us,” Houston manager Bo Porter said. “We felt like Zeid was going to be able to get those first two guys and have (reliever Darin) Downs ready for (Adam) LaRoche.”

Werth was walked by Zeid and raced to third on LaRoche’s single off Downs (1-1).

“I knew the center fielder didn’t have a chance (to catch it). The whole thing’s right in front of me there, so it’s a pretty easy read,” Werth said.

Kyle Farnsworth came on to face Ryan Zimmerman, who grounded into a fielder’s choice, beating the relay to first as Werth scored to tie it.

Ian Desmond then doubled Zimmerman to third. After Danny Espinosa was intentionally walked, McLouth’s long fly to left field scored Zimmerman with the go-ahead run.

“We just create those opportunities and we’re not out of a game,” manager Matt Williams said. “We feel good about one swing of the bat (and) we can get back in it. And that’s what happened tonight.”

Aaron Barrett (3-0) got one out for the win and Rafael Soriano earned his 15th save.

Matt Dominguez drove in two runs for the Astros, who have lost three straight.

For the second straight night, neither starter made it past the fifth inning.

Astros right-hander Scott Feldman left after five innings with a 4-2 lead. He gave up six hits and three walks while striking out five.

“Scott pitched great. Our team did a really good job of getting ahead early,” Zeid said. “I had a job to do, come in and hold a lead, and I didn’t do that. I didn’t get ahead of guys, I left balls up in the zone, and major league hitters are going to turn around and make you feel pretty bad.”

Gio Gonzalez, activated Wednesday after missing 29 games due to left shoulder inflammation, pitched five innings for Washington, allowing four runs and five hits.

“Overall his health was good,” Williams said. “He got into one tough inning. Other than that he pitched pretty good.”

Gonzalez struck out six and walked three while throwing 93 pitches.

“It’s something to learn from, dust the cobwebs off a little bit and get back at it,” Gonzalez said. “It’s definitely a work in progress.”

A replay review helped Washington take a 1-0 lead in the first.

Denard Span walked and was called out attempting to steal second. Williams challenged the call, and after a replay review it was overturned.

Span then moved to third on an infield single by Rendon and scored on LaRoche’s sacrifice fly.

In the third, Werth walked, stole second and scored on Desmond’s single.

With Houston trailing 2-0 in the fourth, five straight Astros reached safely. After a walk and a hit batter, Jon Singleton singled to load the bases. Dominguez had a two-run single.

Jason Castro followed with an RBI double and Jonathan Villar added a sacrifice fly to put Houston ahead 4-2.

The Nationals cut the deficit to one on Span’s two-out double in the sixth.

The Astros got it right back in the seventh as Robbie Grossman scored on Ross Detwiler’s wild pitch.

NOTES: The Nationals stole a season-high five bases, all in the first three innings. … Houston RHP Brad Peacock (stomach virus) didn’t make the trip to Washington and will rejoin the team Thursday when it opens a four-game series at Tampa Bay. … RHP Jordan Zimmermann (5-3, 2.98 ERA) opposes Atlanta RHP Gavin Floyd (1-2, 2.98) in Thursday’s series opener. … Houston RHP Collin McHugh (4-4, 3.03) faces RHP Chris Archer (3-4, 3.40) on Thursday at Tampa Bay

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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