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Peralta wins 13th, Brewers beat Cardinals 7-4

By WTOP Staff

R.B. FALLSTROM
AP Sports Writer

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Aramis Ramirez knows he’s not supposed to have success like this against Adam Wainwright.

“I don’t have an explanation for it,” the Milwaukee Brewers cleanup man said after setting the tone with a home run and RBI double off the St. Louis Cardinals’ ace in a 7-4 victory Friday night. “He’s been one of the best pitchers in the game for a while.

“I don’t know, for some reason I get good swings and good pitches to hit.”

Ramirez has three homers, eight doubles and eight RBIs to go with a .415 average against Wainwright, the best in the majors against the right-hander. The homer was the first Wainwright has ever allowed on a 3-0 count.

“After the fact I probably should have been ready for it,” Wainwright said. “He had no reason not to (swing) right there.”

Wily Peralta won his 13th game to tie for the National League lead and Jonathan Lucroy’s bases-clearing double chased Wainwright (13-6) in a four-run sixth inning that put Milwaukee up by six. The NL Central leaders are three games ahead of the Cardinals.

“Whenever you’re down in the zone with 95 mph sinkers and throwing offspeed early in the count for strikes, it’s tough for the opposing team,” Lucroy said.

Matt Carpenter had two hits and three RBIs and Matt Holliday homered for St. Louis, which has lost three of four.

Peralta, Wainwright and the Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw all have 13 wins. Last year, the 25-year-old Peralta was 11-15 with a 4.37 ERA in his first full season in the majors.

Peralta (13-6) allowed two runs and five hits in 6 2-3 innings to win his fourth straight start. He’s given up two or fewer runs in all of them, a stretch that began with seven innings of three-hit ball and no earned runs at home against the Cardinals on July 13.

Ramirez hit his 13th homer leading off the second, made it 2-0 with an RBI double in the third and had an infield hit in the fifth.

Francisco Rodriguez got the final out for his 32nd save in 36 chances.

ON DECK

Brewers: Kyle Lohse (11-5, 3.07) and Matt Garza (7-7, 3.74) are both being moved up a day to counter the Cardinals slotting their two new acquisitions, Justin Masterson (4-6, 5.51) and John Lackey (11-7, 3.60) on Saturday and Sunday. The Brewers’ scheduled Saturday starter, Jimmy Nelson, was scratched due to a blister.

Cardinals: Masterson, acquired from the Indians for prospect James Ramsey, was activated from the 15-day disabled list from right knee inflammation that sidelined him July 8.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Brewers: Second baseman Scooter Gennett was a lineup scratch with a bruised left index finger sustained bunting in early batting practice. He’s day to day. Left fielder Khris Davis was taken out due to left calf tightness in the seventh and was replaced by Gerardo Parra.

Cardinals: Lance Lynn gets two extra days’ rest after getting bumped by Lackey on Sunday. “We’ve worked him pretty hard,” manager Mike Matheny said. “I don’t think it’s going to hurt him.”

WAY OFF FORM

Wainwright entered among the NL leaders with a 1.92 ERA and had pitched at least seven innings in eight of his previous nine starts. He has allowed seven runs twice this season, both at home, lasting just 4 1-3 innings in a loss to the Giants on May 30.

TEMPER TEMPER

After removing Wainwright in the sixth, Matheny was ejected for continuing to argue about an appeal that was denied. Jean Segura waited for Elian Herrera’s bloop hit to drop in shallow center and barely beat a throw for a force attempt. The safe call was upheld and Matheny was still hot after the game.

“I think we’ve gotten to the point now where we’ve taken a lot of emotion out of the game and you can’t even say anything to these guys without getting tossed out of the game,” Matheny said. “I don’t think that was the intention of this.

“We’ve got to be able to go out and fight for our guys.”

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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