Skip to main content

Rockies lose again, learn Tulo’s season is over

By WTOP Staff

BERNIE WILSON
AP Sports Writer

SAN DIEGO (AP) — As if another road loss and 13 more strikeouts weren’t bad enough, the Colorado Rockies got the news Wednesday that All-Star shortstop Troy Tulowitzki needs season-ending surgery on his left hip.

Rymer Liriano’s first big league homer was a two-run shot in the fourth inning and Abraham Almonte also went deep to help the San Diego Padres beat Colorado 5-3 Wednesday, tying their season-high with their fifth straight win.

Jedd Gyorko tied his career-high with four hits for the Padres, who 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 are heading the other way, losing 21 of 27 games.

Now they’ll be without Tulowitzki, who will have surgery Friday in Vail, Colorado.

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.”

Weiss said it’s probably a combination of Rockies at-bats and opponents’ pitching.

“We talk about two-strike approach a lot,” he said. “We’ve done that since spring training. It was a priority for us. We were real good early and we haven’t been very good lately.”

Liriano was called up from Triple-A El Paso on Monday. His homer off rookie left-hander Tyler Matzek (2-8) went an estimated 427 feet onto the top deck of the Western Metal Supply Co. brick warehouse in the left-field corner 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.

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

After Liriano’s homer gave San Diego a two-run lead, the Rockies tied it 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.

“Traditionally, it’s tough to come in here and score a lot of runs so you’ve got to keep the Padres down if you want to win that game,” Weiss said. “We couldn’t get the big hit to win the game.”

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.

BAD NUMBERS

The Rockies have lost six of seven, 14 of 17 and 21 of 27 games. Their 46-74 record is the worst in the majors.

MATZEK’S KNOCK

The lefty collected his first big-league hit, beating out an infield single to shortstop in the third.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Rockies: Tulowitzki, whose .340 batting average remains tops in the big leagues, was placed on the 15-day disabled list on July 22, three days after he was hurt running out a grounder at Pittsburgh.

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
Read Next Story

Related News

Frustration grows in Venezuela as earthquake death toll reaches 1,430

Israel and Lebanon sign framework agreement with US in ‘first step’ toward peace, Rubio says

Trump-endorsed populist poised to become Colombia’s next president as rival challenges vote