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Rangers can’t find offense, fall 3-0

By WTOP Staff

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The Texas Rangers limited the major leagues’ top scoring team to three runs Friday night after being flogged for 15 the night before by the same Los Angeles Angels.

No matter.

Rangers outfielder Alex Rios wasn’t interesting in talking moral victories following the 3-0 loss to Angels.

“We fought, but at the end of the day we lost,” said Rios, the only Texas batter to manage two hits off right-hander Garrett Richards and two relievers as the Rangers’ losing streak was extended to six games. “I’m not talking anymore about losing. It’s getting old.”

Richards (11-2) allowed five hits over seven innings to extend his personal winning streak to seven decisions. Mike Trout provided Richards run support with a solo home run in the fourth inning, his 22nd of the season.

The Rangers (38-55) have lost 12 of their last 13 games and 20 of their last 23, saddling them with the worst record in the major leagues.

Texas manager Ron Washington delivered an impassioned 30-minute talk to his team after Thursday night’s 15-6 drubbing, in which Los Angeles scored 13 runs in the first three innings. Washington said his team played a crisper game Friday, but ran into one of the majors’ hottest pitchers.

Richards is unbeaten in his last eight starts with an ERA of 1.27 during that span. His last loss was May 30, at Oakland.

Texas went 0 for 6 with runners in scoring position, each of those at-bats coming with two outs against Richards.

“We had six chances to put a run on the board; we just couldn’t do it,” Washington said. “He shut us down.”

Albert Pujols and Erick Aybar had two hits each for Los Angeles.

Texas right-hander Nick Tepesch (3-5) retired the first 10 batters before Trout sent a 1-0 sinker 418 feet to center field for the game’s first run. Tepesch allowed two runs in the seventh.

The Angels have won eight of their last nine and 17 of their last 21. Their record of 24-9 since June 6 is the best in the majors.

Pujols opened the Angels’ seventh with a shot that went under the glove of shortstop Elvis Andrus and was ruled a single. Josh Hamilton pulled a liner to the right side that skimmed off the glove of second baseman Rougned Odor, sending Pujols to third.

Aybar hit an opposite-field flare to left that scored Pujols and ended Tepesch’s night. David Freese greeted reliever Neftali Feliz with a single up the middle to score Hamilton.

Washington and Tepesch agreed that the Rangers starter’s one misstep of the game was the home run pitch to Trout.

“He tried to go in on Trout,” Washington said, “and it just rode back over the plate.”

Tepesch, who has won just once in his last seven starts, said of the two-run seventh, “It was just a matter of them putting some pretty good swings on pretty good pitches.”

Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre, one of the club’s two All-Stars, extended his hitting streak to 15 games.

Rangers left fielder Jake Smolinski, who made his major league debut Monday, left the game following the second inning after being hit in the left elbow by a pitch. Smolinski had multi-hit games in his three starts before Friday night.

NOTES: The Rangers signed RHP Jerome Williams, released by Houston in June, to a minor league contract and assigned him to Triple-A Round Rock. Williams was 1-4 with a 6.04 ERA in 26 appearances. … Angels RHP Jared Weaver said he will be ready to start Saturday after leaving Monday’s game after two innings with a stiff back. … Rangers C Geovany Soto made a written apology through the club after being arrested Wednesday on a misdemeanor charge of marijuana possession.

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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