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Herrera, Brewers snap 7-game skid, rout Cardinals

By WTOP Staff

GENARO C. ARMAS
AP Sports Writer

MILWAUKEE (AP) — The end of a seven-game losing streak lifted the spirits of the Milwaukee Brewers.

An 11-2 win Sunday over the St. Louis Cardinals gave manager Ron Roenicke’s team a one-game lead in the NL Central at the All-Star break. A team that has also had to cope with the death of shortstop Jean Segura’s 9-month-old son now gets a breather for a few days.

With Segura home on bereavement leave, Elian Herrera had a career-best five hits a day after being called up from the minors to take Segura’s roster spot. The offense tied a season high with 19 hits to back a strong seven-inning outing by starter Wily Peralta.

“Somebody had to step up. … That’s huge for us, for everybody. It lets us go into the break like that and still in first place,” said Peralta (10-6), who allowed three hits and struck out five before departing after seven innings because of a minor leg cramp.

Like Segura, Peralta is from the Dominican Republic. The pitcher was heading home for the break, and he was planning to text Roenicke to let him know how Segura was doing.

The morning started with the Brewers organization holding its annual Family Day outing, when players and coaches can bring their children to the ballpark. Players were smiling alongside their sons and daughters on a sunny afternoon, and Roenicke hoped the day would create a diversion from the team’s roughest patch of the season.

All-Star catcher Jonathan Lucroy said he thought the family time possibly helped the squad.

“But it doesn’t matter if you’re winning or losing whenever you’re with your family,” Lucroy said. “It is a business and it is a job we have to perform, but ultimately the goal is to provide for our family, and family is most important.”

Peralta allowed just three singles and gave up his only run after Kolten Wong reached first on a passed ball despite striking out. Wong eventually scored on Matt Adams’ groundout.

Peralta got a defensive boost with a runner on base in the fifth when left fielder Khris Davis made an over-the-shoulder catch on Jon Jay’s fly to the warning track with a man on first.

“I had to step in like an extra gear … just kind of a lucky play,” Davis said. “A big play with the runner on first, he’s probably going to score.”

Davis hit his team-high 15th homer in the bottom of the fifth for a 5-1 lead.

For the Cardinals, a frustrated Carlos Martinez (2-4) allowed four runs in four innings.

Making his seventh career start, Martinez gave up three walks and a balk while also hitting Carlos Gomez with a pitch in the fourth. Gomez then scored on Scooter Gennett’s two-out, two-run double down the left-field line for a 4-1 lead.

Martinez flicked his head back in frustration as he watched the ball take a tricky carom off the side wall on outfielder Matt Holliday.

An inning earlier, Martinez tossed his bat behind his back in the direction of home plate after grounding out, leading umpire Jeff Nelson to raise his arms and stare at the 22-year-old pitcher for a few seconds.

“I tried to throw the bat to the ground. I don’t know if it was emotion,” Martinez said through an interpreter. “I went to the umpire and said I was sorry. It was just frustration.”

Manager Mike Matheny said Martinez was having a tough time “finding anything.”

“He’s trying to harness his emotions a little bit, which will harness his control,” Matheny said. “It was a rough day for him. It’s one of those learning points.”

Milwaukee added three runs off the Cardinals bullpen to stretch the lead to 8-1 in a sixth-inning burst started by Herrera’s double. The Brewers are in first place at the All-Star break for just the fourth time in franchise history.

NOTES: Matheny said ace Adam Wainwright could pitch in Tuesday’s All-Star game despite going seven innings in Saturday’s win over Milwaukee. Tuesday would be scheduled to throw in between starts. Matheny will manage the National League. … Gennett tied a career high with three hits. … Matheny said he wasn’t sure yet how he would set up the Cardinals rotation after the All-Star break. St. Louis hosts the Dodgers on Friday. … Milwaukee doesn’t plan to make any changes in its rotation, meaning Kyle Lohse (9-4) would get the start Friday in Washington.

___

Follow Genaro Armas at http://twitter.com/GArmasAP

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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