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Diamondbacks beat Rockies 5-3

By WTOP Staff

JOHN MARSHALL
AP Sports Writer

PHOENIX (AP) — David Peralta jabbed a couple steps to get his timing right, then raced toward home.

The pitch was low, the throw back to the mound high and Peralta was safe with Arizona’s first steal of home in seven years.

“It was the perfect storm,” Arizona manager Kirk Gibson said.

Peralta’s dash helped the Diamondbacks bounce back from a three-game sweep by Kansas City with a 5-3 victory over the listless Colorado Rockies on Friday night.

Miguel Montero provided the early highlight for Arizona, hitting a three-run homer off Tyler Matzek (2-7) in the first inning.

Not much else happened between the NL West’s two worst teams after that.

Matzek adeptly worked around baserunners after Montero’s homer and Arizona’s Chase Anderson (7-4) fought through a high pitch count for five effective innings.

Peralta provided some life in the seventh inning.

The rookie doubled in the first inning and notched his 24th multi-hit game since June 1 with a run-scoring triple off Rex Brothers in the seventh to put the Diamondbacks up 4-1.

Arizona’s coaches had noticed Colorado catcher Michael McKenry had a tendency to lob the ball back to the pitcher and Peralta, with some encouragement from teammate Cliff Pennington, took advantage for Arizona’s first steal of home since Chris Young did it in 2007.

The run proved to be a big one.

Colorado’s Corey Dickerson and DJ LeMahieu had run-scoring singles in the ninth inning before Addison Reed struck out Charlie Blackmon to end the game.

Colorado has lost 10 of 12.

“I gave a quick glance and didn’t really see much, and threw it right back and didn’t think twice about it,” McKenry said. “It was on me, it was my fault. I feel awful about it.”

After a rough patch of the season, Anderson has rounded back into form.

The rookie right-hander lost four straight following a five-win start to his career before stringing together four quality outings since July 7.

Anderson was sharp against the Rockies, making one mistake: the towering homer by McKenry.

Anderson allowed three other hits and struck out six. He has allowed two earned runs or less in 11 of 14 starts and has a 1.74 ERA over his last five.

“It’s nice because you can kind of settle in, throw fastballs a little bit more early in the count,” Anderson said of having an early lead. “You can let them swing a little bit.”

Matzek has struggled on the road this season, entering Friday’s game 0-3 with a 6.11 ERA in six games, including five starts.

Matzek allowed three runs, four hits and walked five in five innings.

“I walked a few people but overall I felt pretty good,” Matzek said.

FLASHING PHONES

Taking a cue from Cincinnati Reds fans, Arizona’s fans started flashing the lights from their phones all around the ballpark in the ninth inning. Reds fans flashed their phones during an extra-inning game last month and Diamondbacks fans did it once before during the current homestand.

TRAINING ROOM

Rockies: Left-hander Brett Anderson underwent an MRI on Friday to determine if he has a disk problem in his back. He left Tuesday’s game against the Chicago Cubs in the fourth inning due to back spasms.

Diamondbacks: Outfielder A.J. Pollock, out with a broken right hand, is 2 for 18 with a double and a run scored in five rehab games with Triple-A Reno and Arizona’s rookie league team.

UP NEXT

Rockies: Left-hander Jorge De La Rosa, Saturday’s starter, has 24 strikeouts with two walks over his last three starts.

Diamondbacks: Right-hander Trevor Cahill has had two straight quality starts heading into Saturday’s game against the Rockies, allowing four earned runs in 13 innings. He allowed a run in seven innings against Pittsburgh in his last start, but did not factor in the decision.

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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