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Rockies lose 14-4 to Diamondbacks

By WTOP Staff

JOHN MARSHALL
AP Sports Writer

PHOENIX (AP) — Colorado Rockies manager Walt Weiss held a team meeting before Saturday night’s game against Arizona, hoping it would provide a spark to his struggling team.

He didn’t quite get the response he expected.

Taking advantage of Colorado’s litany of mistakes in the eighth, the Diamondbacks scored nine runs in the inning to turn a close game in a 14-4 rout over the bumbling Rockies.

“I didn’t say abracadabra or anything,” said Weiss, whose team has lost eight of nine. “I didn’t say any magic words. I just tried to give them some perspective on where we are at.”

They were close at one point.

Arizona’s Trevor Cahill (2-8) did his job, overcoming a shaky defensive first inning by the Diamondbacks to win for the first time since April 23.

Jorge De La Rosa (11-8) settled down after giving up a three-run homer to Mark Trumbo in the third inning and Nolan Arenado, who had three RBIs, pulled Colorado within a run on a solo homer in the eighth.

By the time the bottom half was over, the Diamondbacks’ bats had exploded and the Rockies had imploded.

The Rockies had two errors, a wild pitch and a passed ball in the inning. They also walked in a run.

The Diamondbacks fed off their mistakes and each other, lashing balls all over Chase Field.

Arizona had 15 hits, matching a team record with eight in the eighth. Trumbo finished with four RBIs. Alfredo Marte added a solo homer. Pennington had three hits and scored four runs.

David Peralta, who had a run-scoring double in the first inning, put a big punctuation mark on the inning, sending his first career grand slam over the pool in right-center, leaving even the home fans a bit stunned.

“Hitting is contagious,” Pennington said. “It’s just one of those where guys get a couple of hits, you feel good and things start to roll.”

After shaky start to the season, Cahill had pitched well lately, but Saturday’s game got off to an ominous start.

Colorado scored a run in the first inning when Marte misplayed Arenado’s double in the left corner and Cahill dropped a throw from Trumbo at first to allow another run to come across.

Cahill was sharp after that, allowing three runs on four hits and struck out seven for his first win as a starter since last Sept. 21 at Colorado.

“Anytime if I’m pitching and the team wins, it’s a good day,” Cahill said. “It felt good.”

The Rockies pulled within a run on Arenado’s homer in the eighth inning, but his throw to home on Trumbo’s chopper in the bottom half sailed high for an error, allowing two runs to score.

Arizona poured it on from there, compounding Colorado’s mistakes by knocking the ball around the park.

HOT PERALTA

Peralta was called up on June 1 and immediately started hitting. He hasn’t really stopped. The rookie has set a club record with 67 hits through his first 56 games and has had at least two hits 25 times. He also became the first Diamondbacks rookie with at least five RBIs in a game since Mark Reynolds on Aug. 30, 2007 at San Diego.

DE LA ROSA’S START

De La Rosa had a couple of shaky moments early, giving up Peralta’s run-scoring double in the first inning and Trumbo’s homer in the third. The left-hander settled in after that, giving up four runs on six hits in six innings.

“He always goes out and puts us in positions to win games and that is what I thought he did tonight,” Weiss said.

BIG INNING

The Diamondbacks had eight hits in an inning eight other times, most recently on May 28 in the first against San Diego. The nine runs tied for second-most in team history behind a 13-run inning against Pittsburgh in 2010.

TRAINING ROOM

Rockies: RF Michael Cuddyer, out since fracturing his shoulder on June 5, went 1 for 3 with an RBI for rookie-level Grand Junction in his latest rehab game. He is 6 for 10 with three doubles and four RBIs in three rehab games.

Diamondbacks: SS Chris Owings tested his bruised shoulder with 30 swings in the batting cage and is hoping to progress to a simulated game.

UP NEXT

Rockies: Franklin Morales, who will start the series final on Sunday, has held left-handers to a .232 average.

Diamondbacks: LHP Wade Miley had his worst start of the season his last time out, allowing 10 runs in 4 2-3 innings against Kansas City on Aug. 5.

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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