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Rangers snap 7-game skid to Astros with 6-2 win

By WTOP Staff

KRISTIE RIEKEN
AP Sports Writer

HOUSTON (AP) — The Texas Rangers never lost faith in rookie Nick Martinez even as his losing streak stretched to seven games.

And on Sunday against the Houston Astros they were pleased to see his work finally pay off with his first win since May 24.

Martinez pitched five solid innings and Adrian Beltre and Shin-Soo Choo both homered to lead the Rangers to a 6-2 victory over the Astros, snapping a seven-game skid against their in-state rivals.

“He’s a strong kid,” Rangers manager Ron Washington said of Martinez. “He works every day and he wants to be better. You’ve got to understand the kid is just out of A ball trying to get big league hitters out. He’ll figure it out.”

Martinez (2-8), who was pitching on five extra days’ rest, allowed five hits and two runs with a season-high six strikeouts.

“I’m definitely relieved,” he said. “It’s nice to get that win. It wasn’t easy. I had to battle out there.”

He spent half of last season in Class-A and pitched just two games in Double-A this season before being called up after injuries decimated the Rangers’ rotation.

“He’s up here to win ball games,” Washington said. “If we didn’t have a tremendous feeling about the kid he wouldn’t be up here … we believe in him. We’re going to give him all the opportunity that we can to continue to improve.”

The Rangers trailed by two early before scoring twice in both the fourth and fifth innings to take a 4-2 lead. The 393rd homer of Beltre’s career came off Dallas Keuchel in the sixth inning and Choo also had a solo shot in the seventh to make it 6-2.

Keuchel (10-8) allowed six hits and tied a season-high with five runs in six innings.

“I wasn’t very good the last three innings, and that was the game,” Keuchel said.

Jose Altuve had two hits for his 49th multihit game this season in his return after missing Saturday’s game with a sore neck.

Chris Carter made it 1-0 in the first when he grounded into a force play that scored Robbie Grossman and left Altuve out at second. Carter was initially ruled out on the play, but manager Bo Porter challenged the call and it was overturned.

Altuve was plunked with one out in the third inning and added to his American League lead when he swiped second for his 46th steal. Jason Castro’s single sent him home to make it 2-0.

Elvis Andrus singled to start the fourth inning and scored on a double by Alex Rios to cut the lead to 2-1. A two-out single by Adam Rosales allowed Rios to score and tie the game.

Robinson Chirinos doubled and Daniel Robertson singled to start the fifth inning. Chirinos scored and Robertson took third on a wild pitch by Keuchel to put Texas on top 3-2.

A sacrifice fly by Andrus scored Robertson to push the lead to 4-2.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Rangers: Rios left the game in the middle of the fourth inning after appearing to aggravate his sprained right ankle sliding into home in the top of the fourth inning. He had missed the previous two games because of the injury, but said after the game that he expects to play on Monday. … Washington was encouraged by LHP Derek Holland’s third rehabilitation start at Double-A Frisco on Saturday night. He struck out four in three scoreless innings. Holland, who hasn’t played in the majors this season after left knee surgery, will start for Triple-A Round Rock on Thursday night.

Astros: Astros OF George Springer (quadriceps) said he felt OK on Sunday a day after taking batting practice and participating in drills on the field, but he isn’t sure when he’ll be able to come off the disabled list. “It’s more frustrating than anything because I want to play and help,” Springer said. “But … I have to be smart about it.”

UP NEXT

Rangers: Colby Lewis starts against Tampa Bay’s Drew Smyly in the opener of a four game series on Monday. Lewis has gone 2-2 with a 2.30 ERA in four starts since the All-Star break and threw a complete game shutout in his last start.

Astros: Brad Peacock opposes Minnesota left-hander Tommy Milone when the Astros start a three game series with the Twins. Peacock will make his second start since being recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City. He struggled in his return to the majors, allowing eight runs in five innings of a 10-3 loss to Philadelphia.

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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