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Santana, Gattis lead Braves to 2-0 win over Padres

By WTOP Staff

PAUL NEWBERRY
AP Sports Writer

ATLANTA (AP) — Ervin Santana knew in the very first inning his slider would be tough to hit.

It took a while to know if that would be good enough for a win.

In the seventh, Evan Gattis finally came through.

Gattis hit a tiebreaking homer off outfielder-turned-pitcher Jason Lane and that was all Santana and the Atlanta Braves needed, beating San Diego 2-0 on Monday for their third straight win.

“I’ve got you on the plane,” Santana jokingly told Gattis, as they prepared to leave on a West Coast road trip. “I’ll get you anything you want.”

Santana (10-6) threw five-hit ball over eight innings, matching his career high with 11 strikeouts. Craig Kimbrel struck out the side in the ninth for his 32nd save.

“I kept everybody off balance with the slider,” Santana said. “That was one of the keys.”

Gattis led off the seventh with his first homer since June 18, before he went on the disabled list for nearly three weeks with a bulging disk in his back. He also drove in Atlanta’s other run with a two-out single off Dale Thayer in the eighth.

“He’s a great hitter,” teammate Andrelton Simmons said of Gattis. “He’s going to get back to doing what he was doing at the beginning of the year.”

Called up from Triple-A to fill in for ailing Ian Kennedy, Lane (0-1) shut down the Braves through six innings. But when the 37-year-old left-hander hung an 0-1 slider, Gattis drove it into the left-field seats for his 17th homer of the season.

“It’s a little frustrating to make a mistake like that,” said Lane, who was making his first big league start as a pitcher. “There’s not a lot of room for error. And it cost me.”

Lane was a journeyman outfielder with Houston and the Padres from 2002-07. He became a full-time pitcher before the 2012 season, looking to get back to the big leagues in a different position. He threw 4 1-3 scoreless innings for San Diego in two June relief appearances, and extended his scoreless streak to 10 1-3 innings before Gattis’ long ball.

“The Padres gave me this opportunity,” Lane said. “Beyond that, I’m not sure what the situation will be. But I’m ready to go.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Padres: OF Carlos Quentin went on the 15-day disabled list with a sore left knee. INF Jedd Gyorko was activated from the DL after being out since June 4 with plantar fasciitis in his left foot. Kennedy missed his scheduled start because of a left oblique strain.

Braves: RF Jason Heyward left the game after the third inning when his lower back tightened up. He was replaced by Ryan Doumit and listed as day to day.

ON DECK

Padres: Tyson Ross (9-10) pitches for San Diego on Tuesday when they open a three-game series at home against Lance Lynn (11-7) and the St. Louis Cardinals.

Braves: Atlanta heads to Los Angeles to begin an eight-game road trip that also includes stops in San Diego and Seattle. Aaron Harang (9-6) pitches on Tuesday against Josh Beckett (6-5) of the Dodgers.

GLOVE WORK: Braves SS Simmons made a diving catch on a liner up the middle by Yangervis Solarte in the first, but the Gold Glover was just getting warmed up. In the fifth, Simmons moved to his left to field a grounder by Will Venable. The ball took a bad hop, Simmons instinctively stuck out his right hand to grab it barehanded. He threw out Venable by a step. “An average shortstop makes that play,” Simmons quipped.

LEFTY KILLER: Atlanta 3B Chris Johnson had a pair of hits off Lane, improving his major league-leading average against left-handers to .433 (29 of 67).

___

Follow Paul Newberry on Twitter at www.twitter.com/pnewberry1963

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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