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Medica has 5 hits, 2 homers in Padres’ 10-1 win

By WTOP Staff

BERNIE WILSON
AP Sports Writer

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Rookie Tommy Medica walked into the San Diego Padres’ equipment room to get a new cap before Friday night’s game and noticed one of Yasmani Grandal’s 35-inch, 32-ounce Louisville Slugger bats.

“I saw a nice-looking piece of lumber,” said Medica, who normally swings a 34-31 bat. “I Picked it up, it felt good. I said, ‘I’m going to try it out today.’ “

Great move, because it powered a career night.

Medica had five hits, including two two-run home runs, drove in four runs and scored four runs — all career-bests — to lead the Padres to a 10-1 win against the Atlanta Braves.

“Can he borrow it tomorrow?” said manager Bud Black, who will write Medica into the lineup again Saturday night.

“That was quite a night for him. The two swings to start the night for him were great swings.”

Left-hander Eric Stults and three relievers combined on a four-hitter. Everth Cabrera had four hits for the Padres, who had a season-high 20.

Medica’s previous career-high was four hits a week earlier at Atlanta. He made his big league debut in September and is in his third stint with the Padres this season.

Medica’s second shot, on a 1-0 pitch from Mike Minor with one out in the third, went an estimated 438 feet into the second deck in left field and gave San Diego a 5-0 lead. His first homer, also to left, was on a 1-1 pitch with two outs in the first. He has six this season. Medica singled in his final three at-bats.

“I was feeling good and it just seemed like good things happened. To get that last hit like that, it was just the way the game was going,” he said.

Medica’s first big league hit was a homer off Cliff Lee in the second at-bat of his debut on Sept. 10.

“Tommy can be a little streaky at times so hopefully right now we’re catching him in a hot streak,” Black said.

The Braves, who lost their fourth straight game, have been held to 10 runs total in their last five games.

Stults (4-13) won for just the second time in his last 11 starts. He didn’t allow a hit until the fourth, when a two-base error by right fielder Jeff Francoeur on B.J. Upton’s fly ball to the warning track led to an unearned run. Chris Johnson hit an RBI single with two outs.

Cabrera scored twice and drove in a run. He was aboard for Medica’s first homer. Jedd Gyorko, who continues to hit well after his return from a 44-game stay on the disabled list, was aboard for Medica’s second shot after hitting an RBI double in the third inning.

Gyorko is 8 for 19 with two doubles, two homers, seven RBIs and four runs scored in his five games back.

Minor (4-7) allowed five runs and nine hits in five innings, walked two and struck out one. He has allowed six runs in three of his last four starts.

San Diego’s hitting frustrated the Braves.

“They found holes,” first baseman Freddie Freeman said. “We never seemed to be close to it. We would play a little shift and they would hit the ball down the line. We played the line, they would hit a ball in the hole. Tommy (La Stella) is playing a shift on Tommy Medica and he hits two ground balls to the right side. Will Venable is looping balls in front of our outfielders. It was just one of those things.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Braves: Outfielder Jason Heyward missed his fourth straight game with back stiffness. He left Monday’s game against San Diego. He originally was hurt while chasing a foul ball on July 24.

Padres: Grandal, the catcher, missed his second straight game with fluid in his right knee, which was surgically repaired last summer.

ON DECK

Braves: Right-hander Ervin Santana (10-6, 3.63) tries to beat Padres in consecutive starts. He pitched five-hit ball for eight innings in Monday’s 2-0 win in Atlanta.

Padres: Right-hander Ian Kennedy (8-9, 3.66) returns after missing his start Monday at Atlanta because of a left oblique strain.

HEADS UP PLAY

Medica singled in the fifth and advanced on Rene Rivera’s grounder to third. With the Braves not paying any attention to him, Medica stole third.

“I just kind of saw the shortstop and third baseman. They turned around and Minor was still kind of looking at the plate,” Medica said. “I just started walking and noticed no one was still seeing me and I took off. With a lefty on the mound I knew it would be tough to turn all the way around and throw me out.”

OFFENSIVE PADRES

After a brutal first half, the Padres have scored 71 runs in 14 games since the All-Star break, the most in the NL.

HOT GYORKO

Gyorko is hitting .421 (8 for 19) with two doubles, three homers and seven RBIs in five games back from the DL.

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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