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Kershaw wins 14th, Dodgers beat Brewers 5-1

By WTOP Staff

GENARO C. ARMAS
AP Sports Writer

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Clayton Kershaw has set the bar so high for himself that a six-hit outing over eight innings qualifies as a subpar effort for the two-time Cy Young Award winner.

The Los Angeles Dodgers ace walked two and allowed leadoff hitters to reach base in four of his first five innings but still came away with his 11th straight victory in a 5-1 win Sunday over the Milwaukee Brewers. He struck out six, nearly five below his average per nine innings.

This equates to “struggling” for Kershaw.

“It was a struggle for him all day long. It felt like he was working hard but he kept battling and giving us chances,” manager Don Mattingly said.

Nevertheless, Kershaw (14-2) lowered his league-leading ERA to 1.78 and tied for the NL lead in victories. Adrian Gonzalez drove in two runs and scored the go-ahead run in the fifth off Jimmy Nelson (2-3), and the Dodgers avoided a three-game sweep in a matchup of divisional leaders.

“It was a good one for us to bounce back and hopefully it gets us going in the right direction again,” Mattingly said.

Kershaw also reached base three times and had an RBI single in the eighth. On the mound, Kershaw benefited from base-running blunders and aggressive play by the Brewers that went awry.

“It’s fun to feel like a baseball player every once in a while,” Kershaw said. “We get labeled as pitchers only sometimes so it’s fun to get some dirt on your jersey every once in a while.”

In the third, Nelson wasted his leadoff double after getting tagged out trying to advance from second on a grounder by Carlos Gomez. Later, Gomez was picked off first.

Rickie Weeks hit a leadoff double in fifth. Two batters later, Jean Segura popped up a squeeze attempt caught by a charging Kershaw in front of the plate. He threw to third to easily double off Weeks.

“I think anytime you face a pitcher like Kershaw, if you try to just get stagnant, I don’t think much is going to happen,” manager Ron Roenicke said.

That strategy worked to perfection in the first. Gomez walked and stole second for his 25th steal of the year. Ryan Braun followed with an RBI single to stake Nelson to an early 1-0 lead.

But after a strong first couple innings, Nelson appeared to have trouble keeping his sinker down. Nelson allowed eight hits and two runs in six innings — too many against Kershaw,

Gonzalez increased his season RBI total to 79. His run-scoring double in the seventh came after Carl Crawford singled and move to third following two throwing errors on a pickoff attempt.

JIMMY’S DAY

Nelson could be in line to start against Kershaw again on Friday when the Brewers start a three-game series in Los Angeles. Consider Sunday a learning experience for Brewers rookie.

“It is the high-stress pitches you want to stay away from. You don’t want to have to battle through three of your six innings,” he said. “I just have to get the ball in the zone earlier in the count and force them to have early swings.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

DODGERS: Shortstop Hanley Ramirez was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right rib cage muscle retroactive to Saturday. Manager Don Mattingly said the team was being overly cautious, and that Ramirez may need just the minimum time to recover.

BREWERS: Matt Garza, placed on the disabled list on Aug. 5 for a left rib cage muscle strain, won’t start throwing again until he is “completely pain-free,” manager Ron Roenicke said. He added that Garza will likely need more than 15 days to return.

UP NEXT

DODGERS: Dan Haren (9-9) is the scheduled starter Monday in Atlanta, though Mattingly said newly-acquired right-hander Kevin Correia (5-13) would likely take a spot turn to give the rest of the rotation extra rest. Los Angeles is in the midst of a 20-day stretch without a day off.

BREWERS: Milwaukee assured itself of a winning homestand against top NL West teams San Francisco and Los Angeles after taking the first two games against the Dodgers. Roenicke promised the team’s focus wouldn’t change when a four-game series starts Monday against the last-place Cubs in Chicago. Yovani Gallardo (6-6) gets the start.

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Follow Genaro Armas at http://twitter.com/GArmasAP

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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