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Liriano’s first homer helps Padres beat Rockies

By WTOP Staff

BERNIE WILSON
AP Sports Writer

SAN DIEGO (AP) — In his third big league game, Rymer Liriano showed off his raw power in one of the more impressive ways possible at Petco Park.

Liriano’s first big league homer was a two-run shot that helped the San Diego Padres beat the Colorado Rockies 5-3 Wednesday to tie their season-high with their fifth straight win. It traveled an estimated 427 feet and landed in the top deck of the Western Metal Supply Co. brick warehouse in the left-field corner.

“It felt great,” said Liriano, who was promoted from Triple-A El Paso on Monday. “I felt excited when I crushed the homer.”

That, he did. It was the 14th homer hit to the top balcony of the Western Metal building since Petco opened in 2004, and the eighth by a Padres player.

“Third level Western Metal, that’s always a good one,” manager Bud Black said. “I like the fact he got to an inside fastball. The Rockies the first two days got him with some fastballs in. He turned on that one. We know that he’s got the raw power. That showed up today on a fastball from a pitcher that was pitching inside pretty effectively all day. That was good to see.”

Said Liriano: “I feel really comfortable when I get a fastball in. I’m excited. Some people say I don’t ever hit a fastball in. I feel really good right now to hit a fastball.”

Abraham Almonte also homered and Jedd Gyorko tied his career-high with four hits. The Padres are 16-8 since the All-Star break, including winning 11 of 14. The Padres swept a series for the third time this year, all at home.

The Rockies, who have the worst record in the majors at 18-44, struck out 13 times against Ian Kennedy (9-10) and four relievers, giving them 66 in their last six games.

“We’ve been striking out entirely too much lately,” manager Walt Weiss said. “It’s about competing when you get to two strikes.”

Liriano’s shot came off left-hander Tyler Matzek (2-8) and gave San Diego a 3-1 lead. Chris Nelson was aboard on a leadoff single.

Almonte homered to left with one out in the sixth, his first since being acquired in a trade with Seattle on July 31.

“The one to Liriano, I thought it was a good pitch,” Matzek said. “He turned on it. It looked like he was sitting on that pitch. The one to Almonte, I was trying to go away and left it over the middle. That was probably a mistake pitch. He made me pay for it.”

Kennedy struck out eight in six innings while allowing three runs and six hits, with two walks. Joaquin Benoit pitched the ninth for his seventh save in eight chances.

The Rockies tied it the score 3-3 in the fourth with a leadoff homer to left by DJ LeMahieu, his fourth, and an RBI double to left by Justin Morneau.

The Padres popped back ahead on Yasmani Grandal’s sacrifice fly in the fifth that brought in Gyorko, who hit a leadoff double.

San Diego got a run in the bottom of the first with some help from replay. Yangervis Solarte originally was called out on a grounder to shortstop. Manager Bud Black appealed and the call was overturned, giving Solarte an infield single. He scored on Rene Rivera’s one-out single.

Matzek allowed five runs and eight hits in six innings, struck out a career-high nine and walked two.

Gyorko raised his average to a season-high .199. He struggled after signing a $35 million contract extension two weeks into his second season. He later spent 44 games on the disabled list with plantar fasciitis.

WHIFFS

Padres pitchers set a franchise record for strikeouts in a three-game series with 37. The previous record was 35 during a series at the Chicago Cubs July 22-24.

NICE TRY

Liriano, the right fielder, almost had the Padres’ third diving catch into the stands in two games, but couldn’t hold onto a foul ball as he tumbled into the seats. On Tuesday night, 3B Chris Nelson and 1B Tommy Medica made nice catches of foul balls while tumbling into the stands.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Rockies: All-Star SS Troy Tulowitzki, leading the majors with a .340 average, will have surgery on his left hip Friday in Vail, Colorado, ending his season.

Padres: SS Solarte strained a muscle in his left side making an errant throw in the seventh and was replaced by Alexi Amarista. 1B Yonder Alonso will go on the DL with a right wrist injury.

UP NEXT

Rockies: LHP Jorge De La Rosa (11-8, 4.34) starts at home Thursday vs. Cincinnati. He’s made nine straight starts of at least six innings.

Padres: LHP Eric Stults (5-13, 4.76) has allowed three or fewer runs earned runs in eight of his last nine starts going into his assignment Thursday at St. Louis.

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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