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Trout and Hamilton homer, Angels beat Rays 5-3

By WTOP Staff

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — The Los Angeles Angels powered their way to a victory.

Mike Trout and Josh Hamilton homered to help the Angels beat the Tampa Bay Rays 5-3 on Friday night

Trout hit his 25th homer of the season, a two-run shot off Jeremy Hellickson (0-1) during a three-run first that put the Angels up 3-0.

“We’re getting our timing back,” Trout said. “A good win tonight for sure.”

Los Angeles went ahead 4-1 on Hamilton’s solo homer in the third. The slugger was hit by Jeff Beliveau’s pitch in the seventh inning and has a bruised left middle finger.

Angels manager Mike Scioscia said Hamilton’s finger was a little sore and isn’t sure if he will play Saturday.

After Tampa Bay loaded the bases with no outs in the ninth against Huston Street, the closer got his fifth save since being acquired from San Diego on July 18 by striking out Desmond Jennings and Ben Zobrist, and getting Matt Joyce on a pop fly. Zobrist had a potential extra-base hit go foul down the right field line.

“You know it’s a matter of time before he starts making pitches,” Scioscia said. “That’s a tough group to go through. He got it done.”

This was the Rays’ first game since trading ace David Price to Detroit as part of a three-team deal Thursday. Tampa Bay received Tigers left-hander Drew Smyly and two minor leaguers.

“There are no moral victories,” Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon said. “That’s a game we should not have permitted to get away.”

Albert Pujols tied Chipper Jones for 25th place on the career list with his 549th double in the first and scored on Erick Aybar’s single. Matt Shoemaker (9-3) allowed three runs and eight hits over five innings.

Tampa Bay got within 4-3 in the fifth on Evan Longoria’s infield single. A second run scored on a throwing error by third baseman David Freese. Longoria was thrown out attempting to advance to second after colliding with first base umpire Larry Vanover.

The Angels took a 5-3 lead on a sixth-inning run-scoring double by Chris Iannetta.

Hellickson gave up four runs and six hits in 4 2/3 innings. The right-hander, coming back from right elbow surgery in January, has gone less than five innings in all three of his starts this season.

Tampa Bay’s Cole Figueroa hit a second-inning sacrifice fly.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Angels: Tyler Skaggs was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a left forearm strain. Scioscia says the left-hander might miss “a little bit of time.”

Rays: Right fielder Wil Myers, out since May 31 with a broken right wrist, took batting practice in an indoor cage for the first time. Catcher Ryan Hanigan, out with a strained left oblique, will join Single-A Charlotte on Saturday.

ON DECK

Angels: Left-hander C.J. Wilson (8-6) is scheduled to return from the disabled list to start Saturday night. He went on the DL July 10 with a sprained right ankle

Rays: Right-hander Chris Archer (8-6) is looking Saturday night to extend a stretch of going six or more innings in 10 of 12 starts.

LATE NIGHT

The Angels arrived at their hotel just after 4 a.m. following a 1-0, 13-inning win Thursday night at Baltimore that took 4:33. Friday’s game lasted 3:39.

GUMBY MISSES OUT

The Rays are giving away a Maddon “Mr. Potato Head” on Saturday. Maddon is hopeful that there will be another promotion featuring his favorite character “Gumby” in the future.

LAST WORD

“Everybody realizes it’s part of the gig. People get traded. We’re definitely going to miss him.” Joyce on the Price trade.

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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